New Life
by Prime102805
Summary: Bella finally gets her wish - an eternity with Edward.
1. Chapter 1

**My first attempt at writing a Twilight fanfic. What do you think?? I'd be more than happy to get any reviews, even ones that say "You suck". Though I hope none of them say that. xD**

**So, this will switch off from Bella to Edward's point of view. Though it will mostly be Bella. To experience her new life as a vampire...Thus the title, "New Life". Anyways enough rambling, on to the story!**

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**BPOV**

"Edward," I sighed as he carefully laid me down on a large, comfy bed.

"Yes, my love?"

"I just want you to know - i'm ready. For everything. I won't have any regrets." There seemed to be a hint of sadness in his eyes as I said this. "Please, don't beat yourself up over what's going to happen. It's my choice."

"I know." He nodded, taking a hold of my hand. "And I just want you to know, I won't leave your side. Not for one second. I swear." I smiled up at him.

"I trust you." He smiled back, and shook his head.

"I still don't know how."

Carlisle walked over to us and kneeled down at the side of the bed, so his face was level to mine. "Are you sure you're ready?" he asked. I rolled my eyes - that seemed to be the only question anyone asked me.

"Of course I am."

"Alright." He sat up and turned to Edward. "Don't worry, son. I'll guide you through this." Edward nodded, and looked up at him.

"Where...where would be the best place."

"Anywhere but the neck. We don't want to sever an artery." He took my free hand and held it up. "The second worst place would be the hand. Too many nerves - it would make the pain worse." Edward carefully set down the hand he was holding, and closed his eyes.

"What spot...would cause her the least amount of pain."

"I'm afraid there aren't any places that would be completely painless." He seemed to be deep in thought for a minute. I was afraid he was going to ask me if I was sure I was making the right choice - again. "I suppose one good spot would be on her shoulder," he said suddenly, trailing one finger up my shoulderblade.

"Are you sure?"

Carlisle laughed. "Yes, son. I'm sure - it would be a nice spot. Not too many nerves, not too many veins...There would be less pain, and less of a chance that she'd bleed out." Edward nodded slowly. He'd made his decision. "Prepare yourselves. I'll hook you up to a morphine drip, Bella." Of course I was made aware that the morphine wouldn't completely ease my pain - it would, if anything, only take a little bit of the edge off of it. Of course I accepted it anyways.

"Don't look," Edward instructed, taking my hand again. I tightly closed my eyes, waiting for the gentle sting of the needle. It pricked through a vein in my left arm. I winced. "I'm here," he whispered, leaning forward to stroke my hair. "I'm here." His breath hit my face, causing my head to spin.

"I love you," I mumbled, my eyes still shut.

"I love you too." I opened my eyes to see his glorious face just inches from mine. And I knew - I was ready.

"Edward..."

"Yes, Bella?"

"Bite me."

**EPOV**

She looked at me with a big, beautiful, brown eyes, and I could see it - trust. She trusted me. Trusted me enough to take care of her for all eternity. Trusted me enough to end her life...

"Edward..." she mumbled.

"Yes, Bella?" _I'll give you anything - anything at all. What do you need._

"Bite me." I could see the humor dancing in her eyes, and I just couldn't contain the smile that broke free. Ah, but there was one last thing I needed from her before she doomed herself to an eternity in the dark. I leaned forward, pressing my lips to her ear.

"I'll do a lot more than that soon enough," I whispered. I pulled back to see exactly what I wanted - her face turning a glorious shade of red. _That's one thing I know i'll never forget,_ I thought with a devilish grin.

'Back to business,' Carlisle thought loudly. 'The sooner we begin, the sooner it ends.' I nodded, and took one last deep breath of her wonderful, wonderful scent.

"Forever," I hissed, leaning forward to her shoulder. I gently lifted the sleeve of her shirt all the way up, revealing her bare arm, and shoulderbone. I placed soft kisses all the way up her arm, as her heartrate began to increase. "I love you, Isabella Swan," I whispered, carefully sinking my teeth into her shoulder. She gasped, and closed her eyes. I did the same, preparing for the symphony of heartwrenching screams. There were none. My eyes shot open as I looking down at her. "Bella?" Her eyes were tightly shut, her whole body quivering. I knew she felt the pain. I could see it on her face. And yet, there were no screams. I turned to Carslisle.

"She's not screaming...Not making any noise at all!"

"She will," he nodded. I closed my eyes again, unable to stand the sight of her beautiful face contorted in such pain.

"Bella," I sighed, laying down on the bed beside her, quickly picking her up and holding her in my arms. "Don't hold back. I know it hurts...I know..." She squirmed under my tight grasp, clearly trying to fight off the pain.

"Edward," she gasped.

"Yes, my love, yes, i'm right here. I won't leave you." And then it happened - she let out the longest, most blood-curtling scream i'd ever heard. If I was able to cry, I would've done so in that moment. It felt as though my heart had shattered into a thousand pieces. To think, that I was the one who had caused her such pain. It was my fault she wanted to damn her soul, to spend an existence with me. I held her tighter, allowing her to claw at my cold, marble skin. "Let it out," I sighed, my voice shaking. I wish I could feel pain...That she could torture me the same way I tortured her. I didn't even try and stop her from clawing and ripping at my clothes - better she did it to me than do it to herself.

_I'll be back in a few hours, to refill her morphine drip_ Carlisle thought. I could just barely hear him over the screams. _Just keep her as comfortable as possible. There's going to be three more days of this._

Three more days...I knew she would make it, but would I?


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow!! I wasn't expecting to get any positive reviews for that first chapter! Well, to be honest, I wasn't expecting _any_ reviews. xD So THANK YOU so much, to everyone that's read and reviewed! Maybe 3 doesn't seem like a lot to gush over, but it's a big deal for me so i'm excited! Thanks again!! I'll be updating this story as ****often**** as possible. And, of course, if anyone has any suggestions please let me know! I've already got an idea for what Bella's power could be...Well, you'll see in the next chapter. :)**

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**BPOV**

The next three days were filled with unbelievable pain. It was as though my body was on fire - starting at my shoulders, and quickly spreading out all the way down to my toes. I knew Edward was there, I could feel it. Could feel his cold, strong arms holding me close. But it didn't seem to help at all. I don't even know half the things i'd said...And I didn't want to know. I knew they were hurtful and untrue, that it was just the venom speaking through me. I couldn't control anything that my body did. I was completely helpless. All the while I prayed for the end to come sooner, to finally be able to start a new life with my soul-mate. But it felt like an eternity just waiting. Of course my pain was entirely physical - but what about Edward? He must have been going through some pretty serious emotional pain, seeing me in such a state. If only I knew what it was like for him. But at the same time...I didn't want to know.

**EPOV**

Carlisle came back, as promised, a few hours later to refill her morphine drip. And every few hours after that, for all of the three days. Each time I begged him if there was something else to do, to help her. And each time he had the same answer:

"I'm sorry. There's just nothing else we can do."

I held my Bella close, refusing to let her go for one moment. Most of the time she would struggle, wiggle around, from the pain. But there were times where she would just go still...Faint, pass out, whatever you'd like to call it, it would happen every six hours or so. Each time I thanked the heavens for giving her a break.

Finally on the last day, she went out for one last time. This time, when Carlisle was in the room. Emmett was there too; each member of my family would come up every so often to show their support, check up on how things were going...

"Geez man, how can you sit there and watch her suffer like that," Emmett shouted over her screams.

"She wants me here. I want to be here." I turned to Carlisle desperately. "How long has it been??"

"It's day three. Only a little longer, and it will all be over."

"Man, I can't wait until she's one of us," Emmett said with a smile. I glared at him. "It'll be fun to see what she's like." He paused for a minute, then laughed. "Hey, how much you wanna bet she'll be just as clumsy as when she was human? She'd be the most ungraceful vampire in existence!"

"GET OUT!!" I roared, furious at how lightly he took the whole situation.

"Okay, okay, calm down." He rolled his eyes at me, still smiling. "Just trying to lighten the mood."

That's when it happened - she went limp in my arms. Though she'd done it quite a few times over the past three days, it still scared the daylights out of me every time.

"Bella, Bella!" I carefully laid her back on to the bed, pulling away, while still holding one of her hands.

"This could be it," Carlisle said, rushing over at vampire-speed. "Let me check her pulse."

We each held one of her hands while listening carefully for a pulse. It was there, but it was very faint. It was almost over.

"Woah," Emmett said, rushing over to join us.

"I thought I told you to leave," I snarled.

"Hey man, i'm not missing out on this! I want to see her take her first steps." He was too happy - I would've punched him, but Bella started to move again.

"Bella, can you hear me?" Carlisle said gently. "Bella..." She was shaking, slowly turning her head from side to side. Her heartbeat was slipping farther and farther away...It was happening.

"Ed-wa-wa...rd..." And she was completely still.

"Bella!" I reached out and took her face in my hands - it was cold, and hard. Like stone. How hadn't I noticed that before?

"Give her a few moments," Carlisle said simply. "She'll come to."

And she did.

**BPOV**

The last thing I remembered was a sharp, stabbing pain in my chest - then I was out. What felt like just seconds later, I slowly opened my eyes. Edward was there. But he looked even more beautiful than i'd ever seen him...What was different?

"Bella," he sighed. His voice...So clear, so smooth. I smiled, and breathed a sigh of relief. It was over. I slowly sat up, blinking.

"Is...is it done," I asked, my voice so low and soft I wasn't sure if they even heard it.

"Yes," Edward sighed. "It's all done." And before I knew what was happening, I was in his arms again. "Finally," he mumbled against my neck. I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him in tighter. He chuckled. "It's going to take a while to get used to you being strong." I grinned, and reluctantly released my grasp.

"Come on Bella, get up! Take your first steps as one of us," Emmett said loudly, wearing a huge, silly grin. Edward turned and hissed at him.

"What's wrong?"

"He wants to see if you'll be as, well, 'unbalanced' as you were as a human," Edward said sheepishly.

"Oh, is that all?" I shifted away from Edward, setting my feet down on the floor. "Well, to be honest, i'm a bit curious of that myself." I stood up swiftly - quickly - and immediately stumbled, surprised by my new speed. Edward leaped over to come to my aid, but I was able to catch myself before falling over.

"Excellent!," Emmett laughed. This time, it was my turn to hiss at him. Carlisle laughed, and headed over to the door at a human pace.

"I'll let everyone know the transformation is complete."

"No, wait!" I zipped over to stand by his side. "I'd like to let them know."

"Of course." He opened the door for me, and I crept out, at my old human pace. Thankfully I didn't still have my old human balance...

"What are you doing?" Edward asked, heading over to me. I simply grinned, and continued creeping out the door. I peeked out around the staircase - Esme, Alice, and Rosalie were all lounging around in the living room. I wondered if they were only trying to busy themselves until everything was done? "They'll catch you, you know," Edward whispered, low enough that his family downstairs wouldn't hear.

"Well i'm trying it anyways." I cautiously slid down the stairs, creeping up behind the couch Alice and Rosalie were sitting on. They were each reading a magazine, seemingly unaware. But just as I was about to pop out and surprise them, I saw Alice's mouth slowly lift into a smirk. _Oh no..._

"BELLA!!" Alice suddenly shrieked, grabbing me up into a tight hug in a flash. The force of the hug surprised me, and I tumbled to the ground, Alice's grip never breaking.

"Dang it Alice, I was trying to surprise you!" She pulled back slightly, rolling her eyes.

"Oh come on, did you really think I wouldn't see that happening?" I heard Edward's booming laughter coming from a few feet away, as he sauntered over to help me up.

"Silly Bella. You know there are no surprises where Alice is concerned." I gave them all my best pout as he lifted me off the floor. Then suddenly they were all at my side - even Rosalie.

"Oh Bella, welcome to our family!" Esme gushed, pulling me into a hug.

"Didn't I technically become a Cullen after the wedding?" I laughed.

"Yes of course, but, well, there's no doubt about it now."

"Hey!" Emmett said suddenly, wrapping one arm around my shoulder. "Enough of this 'welcoming' crap. There's something we all need to know." He looked down at me with a huge grin.

"Um...And what would that be?"

"What kind of power you might have, of course!"

_Power??_


	3. Chapter 3

**Really, you guys are too nice! THANK YOU SO MUCH! Each new review (there's 4 now?! O.O) makes me grin like an idiot. :D And, as promised, i'm going to be updating as often as possible. Just warning you now, i've got some free time this week while waiting to take my Permit test(i'm finally going to get to drive I'M SO EXCITED), so there will probably be a ton of updates. Hope you don't get sick of me! P**

**Thanks again everyone! Really, just knowing that some people seem to like my crummy writing skillz is a total shock to me. In case you can't tell, I don't have very high self esteem. xD Oh, and sorry for postponing the power-search! I just figured Bella would be a tad thirsty first. After all, she's a newbie. AHAHAHAHHA!! shuts up now**

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**BPOV**

"My...power?" I asked, as if the word was new and foreign to me.

"Yeah! In my own opinion, that's the first thing you should check for. Well, after...you know, finding some blood." Emmett said with a shrug, as if it was nothing out of the ordinary.

"Blood," I repeated, my mouth filling with venom at the thought.

"It seems we'll have to post-pone the power search for now," Carlisle said with a laugh. "We should get hunting first." I cringed at the thought - even though I knew it was unavoidable, well, I hadn't lost all of my human instincts and memories yet.

"Hunting," I repeated. "Sounds like fun." I let out a laugh that was at least two octaves too high. Rosalie smirked at me - maybe I hadn't won her over just yet.

"Don't worry love, we won't do anything you're uncomfortable with. And we certainly won't be going after any humans." Edward said gently, removing Emmett's arm from my shoulder and replacing it with his own.

"Don't worry, i'm alright. Except for that burning," I grumbled, rubbing at my throat. "I'm guessing that's the thirst?"

"Yes, that's the thirst." He smiled, while starting to lead me to the doorway. "So let's get you filled up before it gets any worse."

"We won't be going through any towns or anything...right?"

"No, no, of course not. You're a newborn, not used to the scent yet. It would be far too dangerous to get near any humans at all." He grabbed a set of keys from a bowl on an end table by the front door. "Alice, I hope you won't mind, but we'll be needing to take your Porshe. We need to get to a good spot as fast as possible." Alice scoffed, and in a flash she was standing right beside us.

"I don't mind - because i'll be going with." She stole the keys right out from his hand and smirked.

"Ah, but I thought you were picking up Jasper." The smirk quickly disappeared.

"Yes, where is Jasper?" I asked, noticing for the first time that he wasn't anywhere in the house.

"He went to Europe, on vacation," Alice sighed. "He didn't want to be around...for when it happened. After all, you remembered what happened at your birthday party." I cringed. "The temptation would've been too much for him, he didn't trust himself. I wanted to go with, but of course I wanted to be here for you both, for everything...So eventually we decided he would go alone, and that once everything was done, i'd head straight out and pick him up." Edward snatched the keys back from her and grinned.

"So then, me and Bella will go alone. That is, unless you want to wait even longer to see Jasper..." Alice started tapping her foot nervously, while biting her lip, clearly trying to make a decision.

"Ooooo...Alright FINE, you two can go alone!" Her voice was thick with implications on that sentance which, if I was still human, surely would've made me blush. It was as if she was reading my mind..."I'll be back in the morning, and I swear to God, if there's as much as ONE dent - !"

"Oh come on now, Alice. Don't you trust me?" He flashed her one of his dazzling smiles, but it seemed to slide right off of her.

"Don't make me regret it," she warned, pointing a finger in his face. "And Bella," she said, turning to me. "Have fun." She winked, and was out the door in a flash. Edward threw me the same smile, which had a much more powerful effect on me than it had for Alice.

"Shall we?"

**EPOV**

I picked up the keys for my Volvo and took Bella's hand. She seemed a bit nervous, but, who could blame her? She was heading out to the woods to slaughter an animal for the first, but certainly not last, time. I still cursed myself for agreeing to do this to her...

"Edward," she said nervously as we got out to the garage.

"Yes, Bella?"

"Before we leave, there's a little something I want to do." She seemed almost hesitant, as if preparing herself for something she wasn't sure she wanted to do.

"And what what that be?"

"This," she hissed, grabbing me by the shoulders suddenly and pinning me against the wall. My breath caught in my throat as I looked into her eyes - red, and filled with desire.

"Are you trying to seduce me?" I joked, my voice cracking on the last syllable. She seemed pleased by my reaction.

"Maybe," she grinned. That was all I needed - I leaned forward, crushing our lips together for the most passionate kiss we'd ever had. She took a hold of my wrists, pinning them up on the wall, above my head.

_What on earth has come over her_ I thought, not really caring what the answer was. I was so excited, so thrilled to finally have the chance to kiss her like i'd always wanted to. I wanted to show her how much she meant to me. _That's exactly what i'll do._ I opened my mouth, and slowly traced the outline of her cool lips with my tongue. She gasped, pressing her body closer to mine. "Bella," I mumbled against her mouth, causing her to shudder. And then it happened - her tongue darted out, touching mine for the briefest moment, causing a jolt of electricity to go through my body. I quickly ducked away from her, running a hand through my hair, trying to ignore the look of disappointment that crossed her face.

"Maybe we should save this...for when we're somewhere less public," I sighed, trying to regain my composure.

"But there's nowhere here now," she said softly.

"Yes. But tell me something - how's the burning?"

"It's...fine," she gulped. I chuckled and reached over to take her hand.

"Come on, let's get you fed. I know how uncomfortable that can be." I leaned forward, gazing deep into her eyes. "And don't worry - this is not the end. We'll have many more chances to...explore," I grinned. I knew it was something she'd been greatly anticipating, especially after things didn't go so well on our wedding night. It was too difficult - she was still human. But now, there were no more boundaries. I knew I would get her alone sometime very, very soon. The wait was killing us both. But at the moment, it was out of the question. She was going to be too weak with thirst until her first few hunts, so I needed to get her well fed as soon as possible. And who knows? Maybe after our first hunt...I smiled at the thought. "Let's go. I know just the place," I said, leading her to my Volvo. "It's nice and...secluded."


	4. Chapter 4

**So, you want more updates do ya? Well you've got 'em! Again, thank you all so much for your reviews! I honestly didn't think i'd get any. O.O**

**Oh, to those of you curious about Bella's power, don't worry. I'm including it in chapter 5. :)**

**Let me know once you get sick of me, and i'll stop updating so much. Until then, i'm planning on putting up at least a chapter a day. **

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**BPOV**

As Edward led me to his Volvo, I gazed around the garage, trying to forget about our amazing kiss. Then it struck me...

"You've got way too many cars!"

"They're not all mine you know," he said, laughing loud enough to cause an echo. I smiled, taking in all the glorious Edward laughs reverberating back to me.

"I know that. But look around! It's like a car museum in here."

"Don't be so dramatic." He held the passenger side door open for me, and I climbed in. I was about to close the door myself when he put one hand over mine. "Ah - maybe i'd better do that."

"Why?"

"You aren't used to your new self yet. For example - your strength. I don't want my door mangled." He carefully closed it, and walked over to the other side.

"I wouldn't have broken it," I grumbled.

"Of course not." I could see him trying to force back a smile as he climbed into his seat. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. "Put on your seatbelt, Bella."

"It's not like I need it anymore..."

"Please, don't be difficult. It's the law." I sighed, and buckled myself in.

"Okay, there, are you happy now?"

"Immensely," he grinned.

"Good." I smiled back, not even trying to hold it back. "So where are you taking me?"

"Oh, nowhere special. Just a nice little forest nearby." He turned to look at me, a gleam in his eyes. "It's nice and secluded...A trail that's off-limits to humans. Too many wild animals, you see. The humans feel it's...dangerous."

"I think we would pose more of a threat."

"That we would." He winked, and pulled out of the garage. I leaned back in the seat and sighed.

"Oh, and don't worry," I grumbled. "I won't bother you about going a little over the speed limit...this time." He laughed again while applying a little more pressure to the gas.

"I suppose some laws i'm not against breaking. For you." I smiled as he took my hand, bringing it up to his face and planting a soft kiss on my knuckle. "Don't worry love, we'll be there shortly. But we will have to hike a little ways...I hope you won't object?"

"Not at all. I've got to start getting used to my new speed anyways."

"Well you'll certainly be getting some good practise. Even with our speed, it will be around 15 minutes of hiking."

"What?!"

"You want some privacy, don't you?" I was thankful I wasn't able to blush anymore, because otherwise at that moment my face would be beet-red.

"Yes, that does sound...nice." He shifted in his seat slightly and pressed harder on the gas. I smiled and closed my eyes, eager for my first hunt.

**EPOV**

As I sped through the small town of Forks, heading for that secluded trail, I couldn't help but smile. _This isn't so bad_ I thought. _She's still my Bella. It's almost as if nothing has changed_...My smile only got bigger after I snuck a glance at my angel. Her eyes were closed, her head leaning back against the headrest, as if she were asleep. _Yes. It's as if nothing has changed_...Of course, once I realised where we were going, and for what purpose, I remembered how there was a bit of a change. I tried to push away the negative thoughts, and focus on the now.

"How do you feel about deer?" I asked her suddenly.

"Deer?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I'm thinking that's what we should catch today. Perfect for a newborn...They're quite easy to catch."

"But what's the fun in that?" I smirked and shook my head.

"Don't worry, we'll move on to more...fun prey once you get used to the hunt. But for now, i'd like to take things easy."

"Fine, fine," she grumbled. "So are we almost there? That burning is driving me nuts." I cringed, again upset that I had to agree to changing her.

"Don't worry love, we're just about there..." I saw the trail sign just ahead and smiled, turning to pull over. "Here we are."

**BPOV**

"Here we are," Edward said with a smile, pulling over in front of a trail.

"I thought you said where we're going was secluded. A trail that was off-limits." He didn't say anything, just helped me out of the car and lead me over to the sign that read **Expert Trail**. He moved some branches that were covering the bottom part of the sign away, revealing some extra words. **DANGER - Trail Closed Off By Park Ranger. Enter At Own Risk.** "Oh."

"Don't forget Bella, I know what i'm doing," he laughed. "Trust me."

"I always have."

He grinned, and moved some more branches aside, gesturing for me to go first.

"Shall we?" I gave him a slight nod, walking under the lifted branches. It seemed that, behind the giant trees that covered the start of the trail, there was a bit of a clearing. I noticed a small path that went deep into the woods. The trail. Edward stepped in right behind me, taking my hand. "I'll try to go slow for you." He said with a snicker.

"You're forgetting - we're equals now." In a flash I started running, which surprised him. He was tugged along beside me. "Try and keep up!" He let go of my hand and was suddenly a few feet ahead of me. I blinked in surprise.

"You're forgetting - I run the fastest," he called out to me.

"We'll see about that..." I tried to push my new skill further, hoping i'd be able to pass him. But I couldn't. "Well I guess running isn't one of my powers," I sighed.

"Don't worry love, I know whatever skill you've got will be magnificent." And before I knew it, I was flying through the air. I screamed, unsure of what was going on. Wait...are those arms around me?

"Edward!!" And I was on the ground, tackled by my personal Greek God.

"I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" He asked, clearly trying to hold back a smile. I rolled my eyes and sighed.

"Of course not. But you did scare the hell out of me!" I tried to push him off, not wanting to look weak. After all, I wasn't human anymore. I wanted to be done with feeling weak and powerless. But he held me down, pinning my hands above my head.

"You're not getting away that easily." His cool breath hit my face, making my head spin. "You're not the only one who can play games," he hissed, a glint in his eyes. If I was still human, I surely would've blushed at the reminder of my actions in the garage. I was thankful for those days to finally be over.

"Why Edward, are you trying to seduce me?" Now it was his turn to be thankful for not being able to blush. Just the reaction I was hoping to get from turning his own words against him.

"Maybe." I grinned, and started leaning forward, preparing for another glorious kiss. But suddenly he pulled away, his face alert.

"What's wrong?"

"There's someone here." He stood up, pulling me along with him, and got in front of me in a protective stance.

"Edward, I don't think humans pose much of a threat to me anymore."

"They're not human," he growled.

"Well...I'm not human anymore either. It's not like i'm in any danger against our kind - "

"They're not of our kind." I gulped, taking a step closer to him.

"Then...who are they." Suddenly a powerful stench invaded my nose, causing me to let out an involuntary hiss. Edward simply nodded, not losing his stance.

_Werewolves..._


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry to leave y'all hanging on the last chapter. Lucky for you though, your awesome reviews gave me the inspiration to crank out another chapter. In case I haven't said it enough, thank you all so much! You're incredible. :D**

**Oooo, and let's see if you can figure out Bella's power. It's something very particular that i've come up with, based loosely on her human life...If you can't figure it out, don't worry, it'll be explained better soon enough. :)  
**

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**EPOV**

I couldn't believe it - i'd finally gotten Bella alone, and we had to be interrupted. By _them_. I snarled at the thought, and felt Bella's arms wrap around my waist. _She still needs my protection_, I thought. _I'm not letting her down._

"Stay back, Bella," I warned her. "Please, let me deal with them."

"Jacob," she whispered. I recoiled at the name - it was like a slap in the face. If that mongrel was the cause of the interruption, i'd rip him to shreds. "Edward, be careful..."

"I can handle them." I stood my ground, waiting for them to come forward. They did. Two giant wolves, one reddish brown, the other gray. I felt a growl rise up in my chest as they edged forward.

"Jacob," she said again, louder this time. The reddish brown wolf nodded curtly, taking another careful step forward.

"What do you want," I said, trying to keep my voice calm.

_The question is what do you want, bloodsucker?_ Jacob thought with a sneer.

"These are our lands, we're free to come here whenever you wish. You're the ones tresspassing."

_Like hell we are!_ Jacob dug his claws into the ground, as if preparing to attack. His eyes darted back and forth between me and Bella, his anger level rising. _What have you done to her?!_

"You knew this was going to happen. It was her choice."

_I hope this means you won't leave her again,_ He sneered. The words were like a violent stab to my heart - though I didn't let my emotions play on my face. I kept my composure, though I could swear Bella sensed my hurt - she let out a low growl.

"No, i'm never leaving her. I'll always be by her side, as long as she wants me there."

"Always," she whispered. I smiled triumphantly at the mutts, as Jacob growled in response.

_I don't know how you did it. I've never hurt her! You have, and yet she keeps on crawling back. I don't know what she sees in you._

"...Me either." He smirked at that, and I wished and I hadn't said anything.

_Take it easy Jake, we don't want a war on our hands._

_Then he shouldn't have changed her!_ Jacob dug his claws deeper into the ground, scratching and pawing at the earth. _He knew it would break the treaty - he did it anyway. That's grounds to start a war, if you ask me._ I stiffened at his thoughts, hoping the child wouldn't go as far as to start a war. I knew Bella enjoyed his friendship, and I didn't want to be the one to spill his blood. Speaking of Bella...I glanced behind my back, and noticed her staring intently at the wolves. What is she doing?

_This is ridiculous, Jake. We can't start a war over something so stupid...Jake?_ The gray wolf turned to look at his friend - who was doing the same.

_What's going on? Why can't I hear you??_ They looked each other over, then turned back to glare at us.

_Filthy bloodsuckers!!_

**BPOV**

As Edward and Jacob talked, it really got to me. I could just hear what Jacob would say. _Filthy bloodsuckers._ I glared at him - just thinking the words sent me into a fury. _I'm the bloodsucker now, Jake. Do you hate me as much as you hate the rest?_ Then one of them said something that got to Edward. I could sense it. He refused to let it show on his face, but I knew something had hurt him. I growled at the wolves, at their smug faces. Edward replied with

"No, i'm never leaving her. I'll always be by her side, as long as she wants me there." It was then that I knew exactly what Jake had said - he brought up the time when Edward...left. The worst time in both of our lives. I looked straight at him while whispering "Always" in my love's ear. I knew it would set Jake off - and it did. I didn't want him to hurt Edward again, though I knew he would think something nasty again to do so. I_ wish they wouldn't be able to communicate with each other anymore_, I thought while staring intently at the wolves. _That way they couldn't hurt Edward anymore...They'd leave him alone._ As I thought this, the wolves seemed confused. They looked at each other curiously, then back to me and Edward. Edward glanced back at me, wearing the same confused expression. _What?_

"What are you doing..." Just then Jake snarled, as did the gray wolf, and they both turned tail and ran. After making sure they were gone Edward spun me around and looked me right in the eye. "What did you do?"

"What do you mean?? I didn't do anything..."

"But, they..." He glanced back at where they just were, and then back to me. "You must have done something. What was it? What did you think?" I stared at him as if he had sprouted a second head.

"I didn't do anything! I just stared at them...I noticed one of them had said something to hurt you, so I wished they would stop...But that was all." He stared at me for a minute, as if deep in thought. Then a smile slowly spread across his face.

"I think we may have found your power." I glared at him, hoping he would start to make a little more sense.

"Would you care to explain?"

"You wished the mutts would stop being able to communicate, correct?"

"Correct."

"After you did so, they seemed to...well, they seemed to be unable to communicate."

"Really?! What did they say? Were you able to hear them, or were they unable to hear each other?" I smiled, feeling like a little schoolgirl. I was so excited to get a glimpse at what my power was...

"I could hear them, but it didn't seem like they were able to hear each other. I believe that's why they ran away," he smirked.

"This is so exciting, we need to tell everyone!"

"Ah, but Bella, there's a little something we need to take care of before we can do that."

"What?" He threw back his head and laughed. I grinned at the sight, taking it all in. _Happy Edward is my favorite Edward, by far._

"We need to hunt first, Bella. Don't tell me you'd forgotten already?"

"Oh, um, I did," I said sheepishly. "But now that you mention it...That burning is back."

"Let's go find us a deer then." He took my hand and led me through the forest, that smile never leaving his glorious face.


	6. Chapter 6

**Here comes another one!! You guys, seriously. You're so nice, i'm tempted to write a hundred chapters a day just to get some more of your awesome reviews! It's like you've set a fire under my butt, making me want to write like crazy. And i'm loving every second of it. I'm pretty excited to see where this story leads! (I've got a few ideas in store...)**

**Oh, and I decided to take a different direction in this chapter than what I had originally planned. It's Bella's POV, than Edward's of the same events. I just felt the need to give them each their say on the situation. So, it'll be the next chapter that Bella's power is explained better! And to opungo, on your review of chapter 5: Are you kidding?! I'm going to be updating nonstop, even if I get exhausted! This is just too much fun. Thanks again for your reviews everyone, they're all greatly appreciated. :D**

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**BPOV**

"Alright, make sure you stay as quiet as possible," Edward whispered into my ear, as we crouched down behind a fallen tree, watching for deer. "And try not to move - they can sense the movement in the ground."

"Shouldn't we just get up and look for them?? I mean, with our speed they wouldn't be able to outrun us..." He laughed softly, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Be patient, Bella. This is how most hunts go, it's a waiting game - well, except when Emmett is involved." I put a hand over my mouth, trying to control the snickers that popped out. Just then a deer crossed into my line of vision. I immediately fell silent, focusing in on it. "Be very careful," Edward whispered, much lower than the last time. "Once I give the signal...go."

"And do what??"

"Just follow your new instincts. Hand yourself over to the monster inside...it'll do all the work for you."

"Alright," I sighed. "Wait, what's the signal?" The deer froze and turned its head in our direction.

"Now!" He hissed, giving me a firm, but gentle, push forward. I leapt out from behind the tree, breaking into a full-out dash after the creature. I knew it was no match for my in-human speed. But, it was a match for my old human clumsiness...I tried to do a jump, to spring on to it, but my foot caught on a twig.

"NO!" I toppled over, more embarrassed than hurt. But I was determined to catch this animal, so I sprung back up, refusing to let it get away.

"That's it, Bella! You can do it!" I could tell he was trying not to laugh. _I'll get him for that later._

"Gotcha!" I hissed, finally latching on to the thing. I closed my eyes, and inhaled the scent, to find the jugular. _Bingo._ I sunk my teeth into its flesh, hitting my mark exactly. I let the liquid slowly run down my throat, savoring the taste. _Who knew I would enjoy this so much..._Once it was completely drained I let go, letting it collapse on to the cold, wet ground. I stood up, not even bothering to wipe my mouth, which was stained of the blood. Edward was by my side in a flash, an odd look on his face.

"Bella...that was..."

"Oh no, I didn't make you uncomfortable seeing me like that, did I? I've told you a hundred times, it was my choice, i'm not bothered by any - "

"No, Bella. It was actually incredibly...sexy." I paused a moment, checking his expression, trying to tell if he was joking or not. _There's no doubt about it - he's not joking._ And before I knew it, he placed one hand behind my head, pulling it forward until our lips collided. I closed my eyes from the power of the kiss, which sent sparks all over my body. I felt his tongue trace around my lips, licking the blood away. I opened my mouth, letting out a small gasp. "Bella," he sighed into my open mouth, wrapping his arms around my waist. I placed my hands on the back of his neck, trying to pull him closer to me. My mind raced with all the possibilities that this one kiss could lead to - there were no more boundaries, no more restrictions. We could go as far as we wanted. But before we did anything, I needed to be sure of something...

"Edward..." I said softly, slowly pulling away.

"Mmm?"

"Isn't this place a little...too close to the public?"

"It's a closed-off trail, Bella," he murmured, letting his hands slowly trace down my thigh. I closed my eyes, trying to focus on our conversation.

"But...we're so...close to the entrance."

"No one's around." I wanted so, so desperately for this to happen - but before it could, I needed to be sure we wouldn't have anymore interruptions. Not here, not now.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course i'm sure. After all, I do have a little talent to help keep track of such things."

"But if you're distracted," I said with a smirk, "how well would that talent work?"

"Well enough, i'm sure." I bit my bottom lip anxiously. "Really now, Bella, do you really think i'd seduce you anywhere that distractions were possible?"

"If you're a little distracted yourself, that's hard to say." I grinned, placing my hands on his waist.

"I suppose you'll just have to take my word on this one," he said, showing off his dazzling smile.

"That, i'm willing to do."

**EPOV**

"Alright, make sure you stay as quiet as possible," I whispered to her, as we sat in hiding for our prey to come along. "And try not to move - they can sense the movement in the ground."

"Shouldn't we just get up and look for them?? I mean, with our speed they wouldn't be able to outrun us..." I couldn't help but laugh at her impatience - it was just so adorable.

"Be patient, Bella. This is how most hunts go, it's a waiting game - well, except when Emmett is involved." I caught her trying to hide a snicker, which made me grin. _How did I get so lucky..._Suddenly she stopped, and became very alert. I glanced over at where she was staring, and saw the deer. "Be very careful," I whispered, a little lower than the last time. Didn't want to scare the thing away. "Once I give the signal...go."

"And do what??" _Don't panic now, Bella. That'll make it harder._

"Just follow your new instincts. Hand yourself over to the monster inside...it'll do all the work for you," I replied calmly, doing my best to explain what I had done during every hunt.

"Alright...Wait, what's the signal?" She must have spoken a little too loudly, because it caught the deer's attention.

"Now!" I hissed, giving her a slight nudge. She leapt out from behind the tree, dashing out at the frightened creature. I smiled at the sight. _She's got him._ _Wait, what's she doing??_ Her foot got caught on something, and she tumbled to the ground. I quickly placed a hand over my mouth, hoping she hadn't heard the laugh that escaped. Once I realized she was still in the game, the laughter was a little easier to contain. I truly respected her dedication.

"That's it, Bella! You can do it!" Finally, she got him. She was crouched down on the ground, her arms forming a steel cage around the creature's chest. She seemed to be sniffing it..._Searching for the jugular,_ I smiled. _The instincts kicked in._ As she latched her teeth perfectly against the thing's neck, I felt a certain stirring within my body. Because at that moment I realized how..._animalistic_ she had become. It just made her that much more gorgeous to me. _Who knew i'd like this so much..._As soon as she let the thing go, I flew to her side. _I need to kiss her...to take her, right here, right now._

"Bella...that was..." I was so worked up, it was hard to fit the right words together. She looked at me and seemed a little...embarrassed?

"Oh no, I didn't make you uncomfortable seeing me like that, did I? I've told you a hundred times, it was my choice, i'm not bothered by any - "

"No, Bella. It was actually incredibly...sexy." I grinned down at her, hoping she could sense the sudden urges that completely overcame me while watching her hunt. She seemed to be searching my face, for what i'm not entirely sure, as a smile slowly crept on to her face. I couldn't stand it any longer - I needed to kiss her. I placed one hand behind her head, pulling her to me. Our lips crashed together, causing my entire body to light on fire. I yearned for more, _so much_ more. I let my tongue slip out, lick up the blood that was left on her lips. She gasped, making me even more eager. "Bella," I sighed, wrapping my arms around her waist, trying to pull her closer. She wrapped her arms around my neck, seemingly trying to do the same. But then she suddenly became very hesitant.

"Edward," she said softly, breaking our kiss.

"Mmm?" It was all I could manage for the moment.

"Isn't this place a little...too close to the public?"

"It's a closed-off trail, Bella," I reminded her, letting my hands explore her thigh. She closed her eyes, clearly hoping to focus...

"But...we're so...close to the entrance."

"No one's around." _Please Bella, there's no one here...I know you want this just as badly as I do._

"Are you sure?"

"Of course i'm sure. After all, I do have a little talent to help keep track of such things."

"But if you're distracted yourself," she said with a smirk that made my heart melt, "how well would that talent work?"

"Well enough, i'm sure." She bit her bottom lip anxiously. I sighed, so softly I wasn't sure if she'd even heard it. "Really now, Bella, do you really think i'd seduce you anywhere that distractions were possible?"

"If you're a little distracted yourself, that's hard to say." She grinned, placing her hands on my waist, causing my body to tingle from her touch.

"I suppose you'll just have to take my word on this one," I said, hoping to win her over by flashing a smile.

"That, i'm willing to do." _It seems i've won..._


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay here we are, Bella's power is revealed in this chapter! (And, as always, I need to thank you all for your kind reviews. xD So THANK YOU!!)  
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**BPOV**

We ended up spending all night in the secluded trail, getting rid of all the sexual energy that had built up from the moment we met. By the end I couldn't even remember where we were - I was too caught up in my own little world, the world of Edward. When the sun began to rise, he reluctantly started getting dressed. I laughed, noticing for the first time how messy he was. His entire body, and clothes, were covered in dirt and grass stains. His hair was in a frenzy, sticking out all over the place. I stood up, attempting to fix it.

"What are you doing?"

"Your hair, it's a mess."

"So's yours," he laughed, patting the top of my head. "You know, we should've thought to bring a comb or something."

"I wasn't exactly expecting this."

"Me either, I suppose. I wished for it, but didn't expect it," he grinned. "Though Alice could've warned us."

"Alice?!" He laughed again, placing a soft kiss on my forehead.

"Of course, love. Do you really think this would have gotten past her?" I groaned, covering my face with my hands. _Well, this is embarrassing._ "I suppose you should get used to this. There really are no secrets in our family." I loved the way he said _our_ family. "Now come on, get dressed. I'm sure everyone is dying to see you - no pun intended." I rolled my eyes as he chuckled, handing me my shirt.

**EPOV**

We arrived home shortly after sunrise, looking like hell. Of course I didn't care, no one would ask questions. _Except Emmett, I suppose_...But Bella did seem a little embarrassed. I wished we'd brought some spare clothes...

"Hey, there she is!" Emmett shouted as we walked through the doorway. "What took you guys so long?" He winked suggestively, giving me a slight bump on the shoulder. "Either you guys had fun, or Bella's a lousy hunter. Either way, you know you'll have to tell me."

"Leave it alone, Emmett," I hissed, putting my arm protectively around Bella. She looked at her feet sheepishly.

"Well, I could always ask Alice..."

"Quiet!" I punched him on the shoulder, but he just shrugged it off.

"Easy man, i'm just messing with you," he laughed, patting me on the back. I shrugged away from him, leading Bella up to our room so we could get cleaned up. _Thank God Emmett seems to be the only one around..._As we walked up the stairs I could swear I heard him mumble "It's about time." As we got to our room I realized something.

"You don't have any clothes here, do you?"

"Well...no." She glanced up at me sheepishly. "I left everything back at Charlie's." I half expected her to become upset, thinking about her old life. But there was no change in her expression.

"That's no problem, you can just wear something of mine," I said with a smile, walking over to my dresser. Just then Alice burst into the room, with an armful of bags. Jasper was right behind her, his own arms filled. I groaned, rolling my eyes at the sight. _Why didn't I see this coming..._

"Don't worry Bella, I went shopping for you after picking up Jasper! I knew you'd need something to wear." Bella forced a smile, clearly not wanting to upset Alice.

"Great...what did you get," she asked, not bothering to make her tone upbeat.

"A little of everything! Shirts, dress shirts, skirts, some sexy jeans, and lingerie for Edward," she said with a wink. I closed my eyes and shook my head, trying not to laugh. _That woman thinks of everything._ "Here, i'll help you unpack everything!" She ran over to my dresser, setting the bags down on the floor beside it. "And Edward, since you didn't bother to buy an extra dresser for your wife, you'll have to share." She pulled open one of the drawers and started tossing everything out of it. I heard Bella snicker, as I began to pinch the bridge of my nose angrily.

"Alice..." Jasper put a hand on my shoulder.

"Sorry, Edward. I couldn't stop her." I glanced back at Bella with pleading eyes, but she seemed distracted. She was staring intently at Alice. _What's she doing?_ Just then Alice froze - she began having a vision, which just popped into her head out of nowhere, as they always do. This one involved me and Bella, on our bed, in an...interesting position. I cleared my throat, hoping to break her out of it. Thankfully, just as soon as the vision appeared, it went away.

"Thank you," I sighed, assuming she'd just given us some privacy.

"I didn't..." She glanced over at me, confused. "I didn't stop that one." She shook her head, turning back to her mission of emptying out my drawers. "Must have just been a short one." Bella bounced over to me, a huge smile on her face. I looked at her curiously.

"What was that all about?"

"I guess my power works on our kind as well as on werewolves," she whispered. It took me a moment to realize what she meant by that - then I bursted out laughing, unable to control myself.

"You did that??" She nodded happily, clearly pleased with herself. "Bella, you naughty girl," I said, leaning in. "Though you'd better be really be planning to do what I saw," I whispered, grinning like a madman. She grinned back, wiggling her eyebrows. Alice cleared her throat, causing us both to whip our heads around to look at her. She had her arms crossed, and was tapping her foot.

"Would one of you care to explain what just happened?"

**BPOV**

After Alice caught on to my little demonstration of my power, she had Edward call together a family meeting. She insisted I explain everything. She was obviously pretty upset about the possibility of me having a power that could interact with her own...So we all gathered in the giant living room, sitting in a circle on the floor.

"Spill it!" Alice demanded. She still hadn't uncrossed her arms.

"While me and Edward were on the trail, before the hunt, we sort of...discovered my power." Everyone was staring intently at me, even Rosalie. _Since when is she interested in anything that has to do with me?_

"And what is it?" Carlisle prodded.

"Well, it seems I can...block out everyone else's power. Both against me, and against someone else. And it seems to work not only on our kind, but also with...well, werewolves." Everyone gasped. Rosalie huffed. _I suppose she's jealous now..._

"How did you find that out, dear?" Esme asked, surprise still evident in her tone.

"As we were searching for prey, two werewolves came out from behind the trees," Edward said, his distaste of the creatures clear by his expression. "And as you know, they're all able to communicate with each other while in wolf form. But all Bella had to do was wish that they couldn't and, well, they seemed to be unable to do so anymore."

"Fascinating," Carlisle said softly, nodding his head. "You know, I don't believe there are any cases of our kind's powers ever having worked on werewolves. Aside from mind-reading, of course...This is amazing..."

"It's not so special," I mumbled. Edward smirked, putting an arm around my shoulder.

"Don't be modest, Bella," he whispered.

"You say it also works on our kind - who have you tested it on," Carlisle asked, moving right along.

"I tested it on Alice once we came home, just out of curiousity. I made a decision of something I plan to do in the future, knowing it would cause her to have a vision. I checked Edward to make sure she did..."

"Why Edward?" Emmett asked.

"I figured it would be easier to tell by looking at him," I said, growing a little embarrassed. _Please don't make me say what I made her see..._

"Go on," Carlisle said gently. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, once I was sure it worked, I did to her what I did with the wolves. I wished she wouldn't be able to continue having the vision. Only I concentrated more this time, now that I knew what I was doing. And I guess...it worked?" Everyone turned to Alice. She sighed.

"Yes, it worked. My vision was cut off very abruptly, and for no apparent reason." Everyone turned back to me, clearly impressed.

"I suppose that means we've found Bella's power," Carlisle said with a smile. "But to be sure, I think we should put her to the test."

"...Test?"

"Yes. Tomorrow, we'll all gather back here, and test the limits of your power."

"Why not now?" Edward asked, giving my shoulder a squeeze. I could tell he was pretty excited about the whole thing. Carlisle laughed, and stood up.

"As much as i'd love to right now, i'm afraid I need to get back to the hospital. They're pretty strict about time schedules."

"As if they wouldn't give you a break," Edward mumbled.

"I'm sure they would, but...I feel they need me." He put on a coat - I couldn't help but smile, knowing how useless it was to wear for us - while heading for the door. "We'll continue this tomorrow then," he smiled. I nodded, suddenly feeling as excited as Edward about the thing. _Tomorrow..._

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**So there you have it! Oh, and no I won't go into detail about Alice's vision. This is rated T, and I don't intend on changing it. xD Plus, we've gotta give EXB privacy sometimes, don't you think? (nods)**

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	8. Chapter 8

**I'll say it again, thank you all so much for your reviews! You guys rock!! I'm still cranking out the updates. No idea how long this thing's going to go, i've got a trillion ideas for it! And an outtake. My very first, and it was for this chapter! I cut it out, thinking Alice felt a little too out of character. Didn't flow right. Maybe i'll post it up someday, but for now, all you get is the finished version! MWAHAHAHAH! (sorry for these long openings - i'm a rambler, it's why i'm able to write so much so fast xD)**

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**BPOV**

After Carlisle left, Edward picked me up in his arms and carried me up to our room. It took all of three seconds.

"What's the hurry?" I laughed.

"No hurry...I just couldn't wait to be alone with you again," he said softly, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"It's only been, what, an hour?"

"So you would have been able to wait longer?"

"No, that's certainly not what i'm saying." He closed his eyes suddenly, and shook his head. "What is it?"

"Alice," he growled. He let go of me, making a mad dash for the door, but it was too late. Alice burst into the room, nearly knocking Edward over.

"A simple door lock wouldn't have kept me out anyway," she said in a musical tone. "Now Bella, let's finish up here!"

"Finish what?" She spun around, putting on a fake frown.

"All those clothes I bought for you..."

"Oh," I sighed. "Can't we do that later?" Edward was shooting her a death glance from the corner of the room. "We were a little busy..."

"Oh please, you can do that anytime," she said with a wave of the hand, turning her attention back to the now-half-empty dresser. "Clothes are more important anyway."

"I don't think so," me and Edward both mumbled at the same time. Alice simply rolled her eyes, and continued about her business.

"How do you feel about blue, Bella?" she asked absentmindedly.

"It's alright," I sighed, sitting down on the bed.

"I think it looks great on you, really brings out your eyes."

"But my eyes aren't blue..."

"So?? Ugh, you know nothing about fashion." I sighed again, covering my face with my hands. Edward came over and sat down next to me, putting an arm around my shoulder.

"Sorry, love. She'll be here the rest of the night."

"That's right, because there's a lot to do! It would go a lot faster if you both would help me though," she pleaded, batting her lashes at us.

"It would go a lot faster if you'd just leave now," Edward growled. It was of no use - I knew we were doomed to spending the entire night with Alice, organizing my new clothes. Oh, and of course she updated Edward's wardrobe, too. By the time she started talking about remodelling to make room for a huge new closet, I was completely out of it. Thankfully, I was brought out of my haze as Edward started leading me down the stairs.

"Please don't say she's taking us shopping for more clothes," I groaned, struggling against his grasp. He threw his head back, letting out a long, hard laugh.

"No, Bella, thankfully I was able to convince her to let it go for a few days." I let out a huge sigh of relief, making him laugh again.

"Then where are we going?"

"Carlisle's home. We're testing out your newly discovered ability," he grinned.

"That, i'll go along with willingly."

"Hurry up!!" Alice shouted from the living room. I figured we'd left her waiting a few seconds too long, though it was hard to say. I was in such a deep haze, I had no idea when she'd left the room.

"We're coming, Alice," I said, rolling my eyes. "Just be patient." She stuck her tongue out at me. I frowned, and Edward gave my hand a slight squeeze.

"Are you ready, Bella?" Carlisle called from the living room.

"Sure, sure." I wasn't entirely sure what was going to happen, but I was pretty excited anyway. I was curious about the limits of my power.

"Good. I suppose we can start with Jasper here - it's what i'm most curious about." Jasper took a cautious step closer to me, Alice right by his side. I stared at him curiously, waiting for something to happen.

"...Well?"

"You're supposed to make the first move, Bella," he smiled.

"Oh, sorry." I stared at him, the same way i'd stared at the wolves and Alice. _I wish you couldn't change my feelings and emotions_, I thought, continuing to stare at him. After a few seconds of this I nodded, signaling him to give it a shot. He stared right back at me, his expression not giving anything away. Everyone in the room looked back and forth between me and Jasper. I smiled.

"I guess it works. I don't feel any different."

"How about the rest of you?" he asked, looking to everyone.

"Aside from being curious, I don't feel a thing," Carlisle said.

"I'm bored." We all turned to look at Emmett. Rosalie punched him in the arm. "Ow! Sorry, sorry." He rubbed his arm, staring at his feet. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Edward snickering.

"What were you trying to do, Jazz?" Alice asked, wrapping her arm around his.

"I was trying to make everyone depressed."

"Why would you do that?" Emmett growled.

"It was a part of the test!" Jasper replied with a hiss. Emmett snarled.

"Alright everyone, calm down. Bella, you may stop using your power; i'd like for Jasper to send us all waves of comfort." I released my stare on Jasper, allowing him to do his work. Everyone let out a sigh of relief - except for Emmett. He started to cry.

"Are you crying??" Edward asked in disbelief.

"No! I...I need to go." He got up and sped away, sniffling. "Dammit, Jasper!!" he shouted from the next room. We all turned to Jasper, who had a huge smirk on his face.


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry for taking so long with this update!! I was kicked off the computer today, twice. So this took a little longer to finish than I expected...Oh well, here you go! Hope it's alright? I feel some of the characters might be a little OOC, but maybe i'm just paranoid. Let me know what you think?**

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**BPOV**

After the little display of powers in the living room, we all slunk away before Emmett could come back and seek his revenge on Jasper.

"I'd better get used to all the sibling rivalry now, hm?" I asked Edward with a laugh, as we sat up in our room.

"I'll do what I can to keep you away from it. But that would mean...never seeing Emmett again," he smiled. I got up and headed over to the dresser suddenly, realizing something. "What are you doing?"

"Well, I kind of went into a...haze when Alice was putting all the new clothes away," I sighed, opening up the drawers to inspect the contents. "So I don't exactly remember...anything, really. What she bought, where she put it, or even how things turned out."

"Well, Alice was quite angry at first, when you went out of it, but she got over it pretty quickly."

"Really??"

"Yes. She used the opportunity to get you to agree to go shopping with her this Saturday." I groaned, shaking my head.

"Now how did that happen...I was so out of it, what did I say?"

"You were still responsive, with the 'hmms', and 'sure's. So you agreed pretty quickly," he laughed.

"Won't that be dangerous though? I'm still new to this...I can't be unleashed on a mall of unsuspecting humans!"

"She found a way around that," he shrugged, walking up to me. "You know Alice," he smiled, "when it comes to shopping, she's a genius." Suddenly an odd look crossed his eyes. "But at least it means we're rid of her for the night." I gave him a blank stare, not understanding. "After you agreed to do some shopping, she decided to buy us an extra dresser. I'm sure you remember that? It was brought up before your eyes glazed over," he smirked. I nodded, rolling my eyes. "So anyway, she's out right now, getting one. Knowing her, i'm sure it'll be very..."

"Extravagant?" He nodded, letting out a small chuckle.

"Precisely. So," he started, taking a step closer to me, "we've got all day to ourselves."

"Is that so?" He nodded again, taking another step closer.

"All day to do...anything we want," he said suggestively, attempting to wrap his arms around my waist. But in the blink of an eye, I zipped away from him, heading for the door.

"What are you doing?"

"I don't want any disruptions - let's barricade the door," I said, already starting to drag things across the room. I started to lift up the bed when he put one hand over mine.

"I think we'll be needing this," he said with a laugh.

**EPOV**

While in the middle of enjoying our alone time together, there was a loud knock on the door.

"Go away!" I hissed, covering Bella up with a blanket in case whoever was knocking decided to barge right in. She sighed, lifting the blanket up to cover her face.

_Come on, man, we're going out to get some fireworks!_ Emmett said in his head, continuing to knock on the door. _You can take a break for a few hours to help._

"Bella can't go out in public yet you buffoon, so leave us alone!!" I snarled, ready to bash his face in for the interruption.

_Tell her to hold her breath,_ Emmett thought with a loud laugh. I snarled again, as a warning. _Quit being such a baby, we're going!_

"DON'T MAKE ME COME OUT THERE!" I roared. I could swear I heard Bella giggling under the blankets...

_That's exactly what I want, show me what you've got!_

"I'm nude, Emmett," I said, my tone a little calmer than before.

_Okay, well, I didn't mean it quite that literally,_ he said with another laugh.

"Can't we just have one day to ourself?!"

_Y__ou had your day, now come on! We're all going, even if I have to drag you both out of there butt-naked!_

"If you lay ONE HAND ON HER - !!"

_Chill man, it was a figure of speech,_ he snickered. _Now get up before I have to come in there and get you, **not Bella**,_ _up myself._

"I'm not going anywhere without her," I sighed, knowing he was starting to win the conversation.

_She can come with us! Now let's go already!!_ I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"I'm sorry, love. Emmett's not going to take no for an answer."

_Damn right._ I shot a glare at the door, even though I knew he couldn't see it. Bella peeked her head up from under the blankets, a huge smile on her face.

"What?"

"I'm sorry Edward, that was just...really funny," she laughed. I rolled my eyes, while slowly getting out of bed.

"Well i'm glad you got a kick out of it."

"So where are we going?"

I sighed, while picking up my shirt. "Apparently we're all going out to get some fireworks."

"Fireworks??"

"Yes, for Independence day. It's coming up, you know."

"Oh. You guys celebrate it?"

"Are you kidding?? We celebrate every holiday," I laughed. "One year Alice even wanted to give Hanukkah a try." I laughed at the memory. She'd had a blast shopping for the 'eight days of gifts' thing.

"Really?" Bella sat up, still in bed, wrapping her arms around her legs. "So we're having a fireworks display here on the 4th?"

"Of course," I smiled, seeing the look of amazement on her face.

"That actually sounds...fun!" She bounced out of bed, and I started handing her some clothes.

"Well i'm just letting you know now, you're not lighting any of them off." I hoped she wouldn't get upset by my protectiveness - I didn't care that she wasn't human anymore, I still wanted to take precautions. Thankfully, she just laughed it off.

"You sound just like Renee." I watched her face carefully, waiting for a break of emotion. She kept her composure. I cleared my throat, heading for the door.

"I suppose we should hurry up, before Emmett sends in the troops." Just as the words left my mouth, the door swung open. "EMMETT!!" I roared. But to my surprise, it wasn't Emmett, it was...

"Alice!" Bella shouted, clearly annoyed. "Don't you ever knock?!"

"Oh come on, you guys weren't doing anything," she said, waving her hand. "I just wanted to make sure you were coming."

"As if you couldn't see," I growled. She stuck her tongue out at me.

"Well, I do have a question for you, Alice. Why do you want to drag me out to get fireworks? In a public place, filled with...well, people!" Alice rolled her eyes, heading for the dresser.

"We're not going to a public place, silly! Wait...well, we'll have to drive through a public place, so Edward will have to hold you down. But don't worry, the store is owned by our kind."

"Leo's place?" I asked, thinking back to the last time we went out to get some fireworks, a few years ago.

"Yup, Leo's," Alice nodded, rifling through the middle drawer. I sighed, attempting to stop her - she simply shrugged away from my hand. "Hold on, i'm thinking," she huffed. "Yup, yup, there we are!" She pulled out a red and white tube top, and a pair of dark blue bellbottom pants. "Put these on," she instructed Bella.

"But i'm already dressed..."

"Not with the colors of our flag! Show your patriosism, Bella." She threw the clothes at her, and headed for the door. "We'll be waiting for you downstairs."

"But...I...I just..." I laughed, holding up the red tube top.

"I think she's made a great choice," I purred, imagining her in the thing. _She'd be gorgeous, as always. Though it wouldn't stay on too long..._I closed my eyes, letting out a low hiss. _Dammit, Emmett!!_ I sighed, wishing we hadn't been interrupted.

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**YES, it seems that vampires do celebrate Independence Day! xD Anyways, I've got a great idea for what they'll do to celebrate. Not giving anything away yet though, you'll just have to wait and see. ;)**

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	10. Chapter 10

**I'm going to be honest here - I have no idea how any of you will take this chapter. It feels different than the rest to me, and there's a new character introduced. I'm feeling very self-conscious about that. xD**

**My un-originality shines through!! Anyways, i'm going to try and get back to normal for the next chapter. Sorry for having you suffer through this one though...**

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**BPOV**

As we left the house, heading for the garage, I had to shield my eyes. It was very bright out, and the sun blinded me momentarily. _I really need to get used to having super-great vision, so I can stop being blinded during the day_, I thought with a sigh.

"Are you alright?" Edward asked with concern, giving my hand a squeeze.

"Yes, i'm fine. I'm just not used to the light yet." He laughed, reaching into his pocket for something.

"Now I understand why Alice insisted I take these," he smiled, pulling out a pair of designer sunglasses and handing them to me. I rolled my eyes - a gesture that wasn't very smart, since my eyes still hurt - and put them on. "Better?"

"Much better." We walked into the garage and Edward surveyed the area, as if deep in thought. "What?"

"I'm not sure which car we should take."

"Alice didn't tell you? And here I thought she was prepared for everything." Just as the words left my mouth, an ear-shattering screech echoed through the room. The yellow Porsche had flown at us from out of nowhere, screeching to a halt directly in front of us. The passenger doors opened, and Alice peeked her head out from the driver's side window.

"I _am_," she she said with a smirk, gesturing for us to get in. I rolled my eyes again - which didn't hurt as much as before, thanks to the sunglasses - and climbed into the back with Edward.

"So where is this place?" I asked, as he put my seat belt on for me.

"I'm not sure. Is he still living in Toronto, Alice?" My eyes widened at the thought of driving that far.

"No, he's actually in Seattle now." She turned around to smile at me. "So it's not much of a drive today, Bella."

"Good," I huffed. "Just keep the windows rolled up, please."

"They won't do you much good anyways," she muttered. Edward hissed at her.

"Don't worry, i'm alright," I laughed, giving his leg a squeeze. He relaxed a little, though he refused to let go of my hand. _Not that i'm complaining._

"At least we're taking seperate cars," he said, with a hint of a smile. "I guess we scared Emmett off."

"Actually he was just tired of waiting for you two. Him and everyone else left early, leaving me here to wait for you guys." Edward hissed again, though this time it sounded a little bit...teasing?

"Be nice to your sister," I laughed, giving him a little swat on the back of the head with my free hand. He slapped me back, a little harder than I would've expected. _Somebody's finally letting himself be more free_, I thought with a smirk. "So! Who's this Leo guy?" I asked, as we pulled out from the garage/car museum.

"An old family friend," Edward said absentmindedly, messing with a stray lock of my hair. "Someone Carlisle knew back in the day. He moved out to America when it was first being colonized, and really embraced the new land. He'd planned to just visit for a month, to see what all the fuss was about. But he loved he so much he never wanted to leave." He smiled, reminiscing. "Over the years he really embraced the culture out here - he considers himself a true American now...He even lost his old English accent after awhile," he laughed. "So, we've always headed off to see him around this time of year, to celebrate Independence Day. He got so upset these past few years, when we didn't show."

"Yeah, I really missed the old coot," Alice laughed. "Can't wait to see him again."

"Oh, but I should warn you of something first," Edward said, leaning in. "He's about as crazy as Alice. So be prepared."

"Hey!" Alice shouted. "I resent that!"

Suddenly I started to smell something. It smelled...fantastic. The venom started to pool in my mouth, as my body began to squirm in the seat.

"Here we go," I heard Alice sigh.

"Bella," Edward whispered, taking hold of my other hand and holding it tightly. "Don't breath!" I let out an involuntary hiss, pressing my face against the window.

"So...thirsty," I groaned, starting to thrash around. I could barely even focus on my surroundings anymore; there was one thought in my mind that overpowered everything else. **_BLOOD._** I hissed again, fighting Edward's grasp. I didn't know how, but I knew I had to break free, to cool the burning that scorched my throat. "LET ME GO!" I snarled, snapping at Edward.

"Bella," he sighed, refusing to let go. I could just barely hear his voice, over the screaming in my head. But before I knew it...I was out...The blackness overcame me; the monster had died down.

**EPOV**

As I told Bella the story of our old friend Leo, I couldn't help but smile. She just looked so interested...I hoped he wouldn't scare her off. He could be quite enthusiastic around this time of year. Though after I warned her, and Alice cursed me with her thoughts for the comparison, Bella froze. I glanced down at her curiously - right before the scent invaded my nostrils. _No..._

"Here we go," Alice sighed. I shot her a death glare, taking a firm hold of Bella's free hand. _I'm not letting you go. _She struggled against my hands, her strength surprising me. But I refused to let go. She began to mumble the word "Blood" over and over again, as if put into a trance. At one point, she even began to snap at me. It killed me to see her like this, to know I was the cause. _Why did I agree to this?! _She hissed and snarled, fighting me with every ounce of strength she had. After a few minutes of this I wrapped one arm tightly around her waist, keeping a hold of one of her hands with my free one. She struggled for a few moments, but then relaxed. We'd passed through the crowded streets, and were almost there. I let out a hard sigh, not wanting to think about how we'd have to deal with this again on the way home.

* * *

A few minutes later, she came out of her haze, shaking her head. I slowly released my grasp, after making sure the strong scent no longer filled the car. "Are you alright?" I asked, still holding one hand.

"Yeah...I...What happened?"

I sighed, unsure of what to tell her. "We drove through a few busy streets," I said slowly, smiling half-heartedly. To my surprise, she simply laughed it off.

"Really? Wow, I don't even really remember anything after getting into the car." She rested her head on my shoulder, as I gawked down at her.

"You...aren't upset?"

"No. Should I be?" I smiled, fully this time, and shook my head.

"I suppose not," I replied, not wanting to cause any unnecessary worry. "Anyways, we're almost there." I decided to just put the whole thing out of my mind after that, deciding not to ruin the day because of it.

* * *

As we neared the house I laughed, noticing it from nearly a block away. It was, as usual, completely decked out with red white and blue decorations, American flags, the works. _How can he do this every single year,_ I thought, shaking my head. Y_ou'd think he would want to keep a low profile, like us..._

We all climbed out of the car, and walked up to the front porch. As Alice knocked on the door, I leaned down to Bella again.

"Remember what I said," I whispered. She nodded, a huge grin on her face.

"I think I can handle it." I shrugged, leaning back.

"I just want to prepare you." Suddenly the door swung open, revealing...Emmett??

"Come on in guys!" He yelled, wearing a huge smile.

"Where is he?" I asked wearily.

"He's inside, telling us the story," he laughed, putting a hand on Bella's story. "You're in for a treat! This will be your first time hearing it. The rest of us aren't so lucky..." I pried his hand off her shoulder, with a warning growl. She simply laughed it off, as he led us inside. We found Leo in the living room, sitting in the middle of the floor, the rest of my family surrounding him in a tight circle.

"...And of course, with the inclusion of blue, everyone loved it even more - oh, there you are!!" He shouted, standing up at a human pace. "And this must be Bella!" He wrapped her up in a tight hug, clearly catching her by surprise.

"It's...nice...to meet you," she coughed. He pulled away quickly, and began to shake her hand instead.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you," he laughed. "Alice!!" I closed my eyes and shook my head, wrapping an arm around Bella's shoulder.

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

"He certainly is..."

"Enthusiastic?"

"Yes, that's it," she smiled, nodding. "Enthusiastic."

"Hey Leo," I said, as he shook my hand furiously.

"Edward!!"

"How's the stash this year?"

"The best in town, as usual!" He laughed, heading over to a huge, black box. "I was going to wait until later to show you, but what the heck!" He opened the box, pulling out a huge red, white, and blue rectangular object. "Remember this bad boy?"

"The Exploder 9000!" Emett shouted, running over and snatching the thing. I laughed at the sight. _Like a kid in a candy store..._"I thought they banned this things last year, after that kid got his head blown off!!" Bella cringed. I gave her hand a small squeeze.

"Well, you know me. I was able to pull a few strings," Leo said with a wink. "And after hearing this would be Bella's first, I had to splurge a little!" He started pulling a ton of odd-shaped objects from the box, which I now thought to be a bottomless pitt. _More than last year, it looks like..._

"How much is in there?" Bella asked after a few minutes.

"I lost count," he admitted sheepishly. "Enough to last you a few hours though, i'd bet."

"Hours?!" she hissed. I grinned. _This is going to be more fun than I thought_, I laughed, after spending all day gauging her reactions to everything.

* * *

**Just realized, I never gave an explanation for how Leo looks! Okay, I picture him as being about 6 feet tall, sort of chubby, with short, golden-orange hair. Believe it or not, he's sort of based on my cat. CALL ME CRAZY! My cat is named Leo, and he's a pudgy orange tabby. So I thought "what the heck" and decided to loosely base my new character on him. (right, i'll shutup now. sorry. xD)**

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	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry, this is a little short...I'm planning on writing another chapter by tonight though, so hopefully that'll make up for it? Anyways, hope you like this, even though it's short. I had a little fun with Emmett at the end...xD**

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**BPOV**

We stayed at Leo's house until midnight, swapping stories - I found out that he was actually at the signing of the declaration of Independence! Alice and Edward also played an interesting game of chess, which went on for two hours before Emmett broke it up.

"I thought you learned your lesson the last hundred times, NOBODY EVER WINS!" He roared, pushing the board over.

But eventually it was time to go. We said our goodbyes, taking the huge box of assorted fireworks with us. As we climbed back into the Porsche though, I noticed Edward acting a little strange.

"Is something wrong?"

"No." I sighed, turning his face towards mine.

"I've known you long even to know when something's wrong. Spill it." He rolled his eyes, and leaned back in his seat.

"I'm just not looking forward to the drive home." He spun around quickly to me then, surprising me. "That reminds me, there's something I need you to do for me."

"Anything..."

"Don't breath." I stared at him curiously, not understanding what he meant by that. "On the ride over, when we passed through some crowded streets, you became overwhelmed. I really would rather not have to see you like that again." I nodded slowly.

"Okay, fine. Fair enough." Even though I knew I didn't need to breath anymore, I was a little nervous about stopping. It was one of the few things I hadn't tried out in my new body. Of course he noticed my hesitation.

"Do you want to suffer again?" he asked, concerned.

"Of course not! I'm just...not used to, well, not breathing. I haven't tried it out yet."

"There's nothing at all to worry about. Sure, the loss of smell can make you a little uncomfortable...But in this case, I don't think you'll complain," he smiled. I nodded, and sucked in one last long, deep breath. Edward stared at me while I did so, making me self-conscious.

"There. See, it's not so bad is it?" He said condescendingly. I whapped him good and hard on his shoulder. "Don't be bitter, Bella," he grinned. And that's how things went the whole drive home...Thankfully though, it didn't last long. We were back in just a few minutes. And as soon as the car stopped, I started breathing again, making Edward laugh. "Did you really miss it that much?"

"It's a little strange to get used to," I shrugged. He helped me out of the car, and we started heading out to the house, when Alice suddenly appeared right in front of us. I blinked a few times, surprised. _Still not used to the speed..._

"Edward!! When was the last time you hunted?!"

"I...well, it was - "

"I knew it! Before Bella was changed, right??" He nodded sheepishly. "Why didn't you when you took her hunting the other day?"

"Don't make me say it, Alice," he growled.

"Oh, right. Well that's no excuse! You get out there as soon as you can and find a mountain lion or something!" And with that, she spun around and gracefully walked away. _Even as a vampire, I don't have half that level of grace, _I thought bitterly.

"I suppose we should hunt," Edward sighed, taking my hand. "Your eyes seemed to be getting a little dark anyway. You must be dying of thirst, especially after the car ride." I huffed, rolling my eyes.

"And what about you?? Your eyes are nearly pitch-black, why didn't you get out sooner??"

"I've been happy simply spending time with you. Hunting, for myself, hasn't even crossed my mind." _Curse his dazzling ability! Now I don't even remember why I was mad..._

**EPOV**

We spent the rest of the day hunting. I wanted to head out to California, to hunt some mountain lions, as did Bella - she's already bored with the easy prey - but Carlisle didn't think it was a very good idea. It seems as though there isn't any overpopulation out there...So we stuck with the same secluded trail as last time, catching deer. But as the sun started to set, I knew it was time to head back.

"Why are we leaving already?" Bella whined. I grinned at the sound. _Coming from anyone else, that would get annoying._

"Because it's sunset. We'll be setting off all those fireworks soon." She pretended to be upset, though I saw her face light up at the word _fireworks_.

"Alright. Let's go then." We had another race back to the car - I won, of course, though she was actually pretty close behind - and then were on our way home. I had her stop breathing for the ride home again, just to be safe. The second our house came into view, I heard her start again. "When will I be allowed to breath on our trips again?"

"When you build a tolerancy to blood," I stated simply. She sighed.

"Isn't that like going against our nature or something?"

"We can't always give the beast what it wants." We got out of the car and headed inside, only to find Emmett wearing a ridiculous 'Uncle Sam' tophat, holding a noise-maker.

"There you are!! Ready to party, Bella??" She laughed, and nodded slowly. Alice zipped over, and patted Bella on the back.

"Ignore him. It'll make the whole night go faster." Emmett suddenly started to run, heading straight for Alice. She rolled her eyes, and took a few steps to the side, causing him to run right past her. "Come on, you know that never works," she sighed.

"I thought I was gonna get you that time," he said with a groan. "Well, I guess that means i'll have to get somebody else." He glanced at Bella, then quickly looked away. _As if I didn't see that._ "Hey Bella, did you see that?" He asked, pointing out the window.

"What..." She didn't fall for it. I smiled.

"This!" _Oh no..._He sped after Bella, a dopey grin on his face.

"NO!" I snarled, running over and grabbing her protectively in my arms, moving her out of the way. He wasn't expecting that.

"What's your problem, ma - aaan!" He tried to stop himself, noticing he was just about to run into the wall. He couldn't do it in time. He smashed straight through the wall, causing a humungous hole, leading outside.

"Not again," Rosalie sighed, covering her face shamfeully. "Every year..." I could feel Bella snickering under me, as Carlisle walked into the room.

"Emmett," he sighed, immediately knowing the cause of the problem.

"He went after Bella this time," Alice said with a smirk.

"I didn't know Eddy would do that!" Emmett growled, crawling back into the house through the giant hole he caused. I hissed at him. _I hate when he calls me that..._

"I saw it coming!" Alice said proudly.

"Then why didn't you stop me," Emmett said angrily, attempting to punch her in the arm. She avoided it easily.

"Enough, enough," Carlisle sighed. "It's dark out." Emmett cheered up immediately, and ran to the huge black box.

"Let's do it!!"


	12. Chapter 12

**Dangit! I planned to make this longer...sorry. It's the shortest chapter yet!! :(**

**Happy 4th Everyone!!**

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**BPOV**

"Ready?" Edward asked, taking my hand.

"Sure," I smiled, letting him lead me outside. "Where is everyone?" He simply laughed, and gestured with his head up to the roof of the house. I could see everyone up on the top of the house, with the black box.

"They're lighting them off up there."

"So...why are we down here?"

"To have our privacy, of course." He grinned, and led me over to a huge, fluffy blanket that was laid out on the ground right up near a fire pit, in a spot that gave us a perfect view. He left my side momentarily, to light a fire.

"It seems you've thought of everything," I laughed, laying down on the blanket. He laid down beside me, the grin growing bigger, as he wrapped his arms around my waist. "Perfect," I sighed, enjoying the feeling of Edward's arms around me, and the warmth of the fire.

"Here we go!!" I heard Emmett shout. Suddenly there was a loud popping noise, signaling that he'd lit off the first. I was a little surprised at first - i'd expected them to be the kind that just fizzled and sparked on the ground, not the kind that shot up in the air. _I thought those were illegal..._There was another pop as it exploded up in the sky, lighting up the night with color.

"Wow," I whispered, watching the white and yellow sparks fizzle out. _POP!_ Another lit up the sky - this time, it was green. Next came blue, pink, orange, purple, and red. One was even rainbow colored.

"It gets better," Edward whispered against my neck, followed by a soft kiss. "These next ones are some of my favorites." _POP!_ I gasped, watching the sparks explode, forming a circle-within-a-circle shape.

"I've never seen any like that..." I could feel him smile against my neck, clearly pleased by my reactions. _POP!_ Next came a red, heart-shaped one. Then another...and another...

"We got a lot of those. I knew you'd like them," he laughed.

"I do, I love them all. But those hearts were certainly my favorite." _POP!_ Next came my second favorite ones. They were pretty simple, with your basic shape. It was the color that got me - gold. The exact same shade as his eyes.

"I'm guessing those would be your second favorite," he murmured.

"I thought you said you couldn't read my mind." He laughed, his hold around me growing slightly tighter.

"Know what my favorite colored ones are?"

"What?"

"Orange. They're the color of your eyes right now." I blinked, surprised. _You know, I really haven't looked in the mirror for a long time...but why would my eyes be orange?_ He seemed to be reading my mind again. "It takes a little while for the color to change from red to gold. You're right in the middle of the change by now, so they're orange."

"Really?" He laughed again, clearly enjoying himself.

"Don't you ever check your reflection anymore?"

"I'm afraid to. What if I don't cast a reflection anymore," I joked. He rolled his eyes.

**EPOV**

Bella seemed to enjoy the fireworks display. All two hours of it. I thought she would've gotten bored after awhile, but as always, she never did what I thought she would. After the last one went off, she continued to stare up at the sky, waiting for more.

"Bella," I said after a few minutes of this.

"Hmm?"

"It's over."

"Already?" I laughed, holding her closer.

"It's been two hours."

"I lost track of time," she whispered, turning around and snuggling into my chest.

"I did too, I suppose, after the first hour," I smiled.

_They're done_, Emmett thought loudly all of a sudden. I glanced up at the roof, noticing everyone was staring down at us. I glared up at them. _You can go inside now!_ I continued to glare.

"Come on Emmett, let's leave them alone," Carlisle said gently, turning around to leave.

_Why can't Emmett ever do anything romantic like that for me_, Rosalie thought bitterly. I had to refrain from smiling at that. After they all left, I turned my attention back to Bella.

"What do yo want to do now?"

"How about we just stay here. For the rest of the night," she sighed.

"Sounds like a plan." I rested my head against hers, and held her closer. _I could lay like this for as long as you'd like..._


	13. Chapter 13

**What's this? NO UPDATE YESTERDAY?! Sorry about that everyone. I just wasn't up to it for some reason. Maybe it was the hundreds of mosquito bites I got on the 4th that have been DRIVING ME NUTS...(I counted 31 on one arm alone. No joke) But lucky for you, I got the inspiration to write some more today! Sorry again about yesterday.**

**And as always, I feel the need to thank you all for your awesome reviews!! They always make my day. :D**

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**BPOV**

After spending the rest of the night on the blanket by the fire, Edward decided it was time for another hunt. He could sense my weakness...I was still a newborn, so apparantly I needed to hunt nearly every single day. Why he hadn't mentioned that before, i'm not sure.

"More deer?" I sighed, as we walked at a slightly-faster-than-human pace to a small forest near the house.

"Yes, more deer," he smirked. "I'm sorry, but I just don't think you're ready for bigger prey."

"We won't know unless I try," I argued, desperate for something new. He simply shook his head, ending the argument there. We soon reached the woods, and began to search for our prey.

"Now we've got to be careful," he warned me. "This isn't as secluded as the trail. There's a small chance we might come across some hikers." That caught me off-guard a little.

"Why would we come here then? Isn't it important to stay as far away from the public as we can while hunting?"

"Yes, that's very important. But...I'll be keeping an ear out for any intruders," he grinned, tapping a finger against his temple. Suddenly, something caught my attention. A new scent filled my nose, causing the burning in my throat to intensify.

"That's...not...deer," I grumbled, already starting to lose control from the new smell.

"No, it's not a deer," he whispered.

"What is it..."

"A bear." I whipped my head around to face him.

"Bear?? I thought you said..."

"I wanted it to be a surprise," he smiled. "There's been a problem with bear attacks over these past few days in the area. Carlisle was starting to get worried...I asked him to let you, well, _fix the problem_. Of course Emmett will be mad once he finds out..."

"Let him be mad," I hissed, growing more and more excited. I scanned the srea, searching for the creature that had such a delicious scent. _Bingo!!_ I slowly crouched down, letting my fingers dig into the earth. Edward stayed completely still by my side, not wanting to disturb my process. I inched forward, preparing to strike, when the bear froze suddenly. It noticed me. I let out a low hiss, and started to run as fast as I could. It was clearly surprised by my actions, giving me the upper hand. I reached it in no time, slamming its thick, furry body into a tree, causing its neck to snap. It let out a soft grumbling noise, then lay still in my arms. I snarled, quickly sinking my teeth into its neck, finding the jugular without any problem. All my surroundings seemed to disappear around me as I sucked the creature dry, my body only focusing on one thing - the blood.

"Impressive!" Edward called out behind me after I finished. He was by my side in a flash, taking hold of one of my hands. "I think we may have underestimated you."

"Told you, i'm ready for more...exciting prey," I smirked, wiping my mouth.

"I think you've found it," he growled, the all too familiar twinkle in his eye. It still surprised me, his reactions to my hunting. I always thought he would've hated it, hated himself for being the reason I had to do it. Of course, i'm more than happy that he reacts this way every time...But suddenly, he froze. His eyes looked past me, seeming to glaze over. Suddenly a low, harsh growl rose up out of his chest.

"We need to go."

"Edward, what - "

"Bella, we need to leave. Right now!" He snarled, picking me up suddenly.

"What are you doing?!" I demanded, upset that he wasn't telling me what was going on. I didn't expect what he said next...

"Charlie!" My body stiffened at the name. He broke into a run then, carrying me bridal-style. And that's when it his me - the scent...a thousand times better than the bear. _What was it?!_ "Bella, stop breathing," Edward instructed, his hold on me tightening.

"What is that," I hissed, my hands balling into fists. _It smells...so...delicious..._

"Stop breathing!" He snarled, clearly growing more and more anxious. By now I could see the edge of the forest...and the house up ahead.

"I can't...it smells...so good," I crooned, starting to struggle against his grasp. _Why won't he let me down?! I want to know...what is it that's letting out that wonderful smell??_

"Bella!!" He glared down at me. It took all of my strength to stop the flow of oxygen going through my nose. I wanted, more than anything, to chase down the creature that gave off such a smell. But Edward meant business, I could see it in his eyes.

"You'd better have a good reason for this," I hissed, before I stopped breathing. He relaxed slightly, but didn't slow down. We soon reached the house, and he stopped. I started to breath again. "Would you care to explain what just happened back there?" I asked, growing more and more frustrated.

"It was Charlie," he sighed, setting me back on my feet. "I guess he went out to investigate the bear attacks...There must have been one just before we left. Him and another ranger...They were coming. I had to move you, I couldn't let you catch his scent..." I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. It was Charlie?! That's who smelled so good?!

"No..." It was all I could say. I dropped down to my knees, covering my face with my hands. "How could I do that...I wanted...Dammit, I wanted to kill him!" I groaned, the sick feeling growing stronger in the pit of my stomach. _Was this really what i'd become?? Am I really that much of a **monster**?_

"I'm so sorry," Edward whispered. He sat down beside me, and crossed his arms. I turned to face him. He looked so...upset. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see the pained look on his face anymore. "I'm sorry," he repeated, cautiously putting an arm around me. I buried my face in his chest, as he put his other arm around me. And for the next three days, I refused to leave the comfort of those arms.


	14. Chapter 14

**Sorry for taking all day to update. I actually had most of this written before going to bed last night. But I was gone all day today. Went out to take my permit test (passed, got 32 out of 37 of the questions right!) but unfortunately I failed the vision test. DANG MY POOR EYESIGHT! So then we went to find some glasses, blah blah blah, enough boring you. Long story short, I was all depressed and emotional about not getting to drive yet that I put off finishing this until now. Sorry. :(**

**And again, thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed!! YOU ALL ROCK, so i'm giving each and every one of you an imaginary cookie. (holds up plate of imaginary cookies) It's really all i've got for now GIMMEE A BREAK IT'S 3 AM sorry for rambling. xD**

* * *

**EPOV**

After Bella caught the bear - way faster than i'd ever imagined, the beast was nearly twice her size - I heard voices. Nothing being said out loud, but rather, the mind voices. The ones i'd grown all too familiar with over the past century. I'd learned to block them out after awhile...But I knew I couldn't, not know. I listened closely, to hear the voices more clearly, and find out what direction the people they came from were heading. And that's when one voice in particular caught my attention.

_Those damn bears...I wish the park rangers would let us get rid of them all. There have been so many attacks, so many people killed. So many people that could've been...She just barely missed them..._

**_Charlie??_** I let out an involuntary growl, growing very protective. One single thought overtook everything else - _I need to get her out of here._

"We need to go." The surprise was clear on her face.

"Edward, what..." _There's no time!_

"Bella, we need to leave. Right now!" _We can't spare another second!_ And with that, I lifted her off the ground in one swift movement, and headed for home.

"What are you doing?!" She demanded. I could tell by the tone of her voice she was growing impatient with me already.

"Charlie!" I hissed, hoping that would answer her questions. I could feel her body stiffen. _I'm so sorry, love...So, so sorry...Wait, what is she...NO!_ "Bella, stop breathing" I instructed her, hoping it wasn't too late, that the demon hadn't waken inside of her.

"What is that..." I could see her eye color darkening, and her hands ball into fists. _NO!!_

"Stop breathing!" _It can't be too late, i'm not letting you do this to yourself!!_

"I can't...it smells...so good," she sighed, starting to twitch and struggle.

"Bella!!" I glared at her, hoping she could see the frustration and anxiousness in my expression. She must have, because she seemed to be about ready to give up.

"You'd better have a good reason for this," she hissed, before finally stopping the flow of oxygen. I let out a soft sigh of relief, as we finally arrived back home. She started breathing again, starting to finally overcome her thirst. "Would you care to explain what just happened back there?" She asked, her tone impatient.

"It was Charlie," I sighed, figuring it was time to let her know. Her face softened a little. "I guess he went out to investigate the bear attacks...There must have been one just before we left. Him and another ranger...They were coming. I had to move you, I couldn't let you catch his scent..." Her nose crinkled in disgust, and she let out a soft, pitiful sob.

"No..." She fell to her knees, covering her face with her hands. "How could I do that...I wanted...Dammit, I wanted to kill him!" I flinched at the harsh, dark tone of her voice. _This is it...this is just what you were waiting for. The regret. You knew it was too good to be true, that this glorious creature couldn't possibly want you forever...She wishes she hadn't taken things so far._ I sat down beside her, praying that she wouldn't shy away from me. She didn't.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered, slowly putting an arm around her. _Sorry for everything._ She turned suddenly, pressing her face against my chest, letting out a soft whimpering sound that broke my heart. I put my other arm around her and pulled her close, refusing to let her go for a full three days.

**BPOV**

During those days, each member of the family came by at least once to check on us, to ask what was wrong. Neither of us said a word. I assume Alice informed them, otherwise they wouldn't have left us alone.  
On the third day, the thirst was becoming too much for me. I'd gone too long without hunting, and I could feel myself growing weaker. I was too ashamed to admit anything though, because I knew Edward would force me to hunt. But I didn't want to. Not after what had happened...

"Bella," he said suddenly, breaking the long silence.

"Yes," I whispered.

"I'm sorry. For everything that's happened," he sighed, holding me closer, almost like he was afraid to let go.

"Don't be. It wasn't your fault," I grumbled, my voice strained from the thirst. He laughed dryly, without any trace of humor.

"Yes. It is, it's all my fault. I agreed to this, and now i've caused you so much pain...so much suffering." I shook my head, and pulled away from him.

"Edward, we've gone over this," I said, taking his face into my hands. "This was my choice. Any pain that I feel, any suffering, should be blamed on me. Not you." He closed her eyes, and shook his head.

"No. All of this, everything that's happened. I've done so much to hurt you," he whispered, placing his hands over mine.

"Stop." He opened his eyes. "This was all my choice. I _chose_ to be with you. I _chose_ for you to change me. This was the life I wanted, and there's nothing you could've done to change it. Please, don't blame yourself anymore."

"I'm sorry," was all he said as he hugged me again, his arms holding me tightly. I sighed against him, wondering if this argument would ever be resolved.

* * *

A few hours later, Edward pulled away.

"It's been too long," he sighed, taking a hold of my hand. "You're growing weaker. I can feel it already."

"No, i'm fine," I lied, hoping he wouldn't catch me. Of course he did.

"Bella..." I rolled my eyes, and stood up.

"Alright, i'll go." I had a feeling he could sense my hesitance. I could see the sadness in his eyes, so I tried to be more upbeat. "Are there any more bears out?"

"I'm afraid not. We're back to deer." I groaned as he lead me to the garage.

"That's just great. Way to tease me with something new," I grumbled, really only a little disappointed. He flinched. "What is it?"

"Nothing, let's go." He opened the door to the Volvo for me, and gestured for me to get in.

"Not until you tell me what's wrong." He avoided my stare, the same sadness still in his eyes. "Edward..."

"It's nothing." He gestured again for me to get in. I crossed my arms and glared at him. He closed the door and leaned up against the car, his own arms crossed. "I just knew you'd regret your decision to be with me after awhile. That's all," he shrugged. I let out a noise that sounded like a mix of a huff and a groan, and socked him in the arm. He recoiled away from me, shamefaced.

"**Edward**! I do not, nor will I ever, regret being with you. Do you understand me?" I growled, holding his face so he couldn't look away from me, and staring straight into his eyes. His expression softened - but only a little.

"Alright," he sighed, putting his hands over mine. "I'm sorry."

"Please stop saying that," I groaned, leaning forward to press my forehead to his. Finally, he smiled - though I couldn't see it, I could sense it, and hear it in his next words.

"I love you."

"And I love you...forever," I smiled.


	15. Chapter 15

**Sorry for taking so long to update, again. :(**

**There's been some complications, so I haven't been on the computer very much lately, to do _anything_. So, that's why this is also a little shorter than usual. And now that i'll be getting my permit tomorrow, the updates will probably be a little less frequent. I'll be out on the road too much. xD**

**Thanks again to EVERYONE for your reviews!! I wouldn't have even bothered to continue this if you guys hadn't been so incredibly nice. Thank you so much!! I really appreciate every single one.**

* * *

**EPOV**

After Bella and I settled things in the garage, we hopped into the Volvo. I'm sure I was smiling like a half-wit, but I didn't care. _Bella's never leaving me. She loves me._ That's all that was on my mind right now. Of course I felt silly, having to be reassured like a child like that. But after what had happened, I wasn't sure how she felt...Suddenly there was a loud tapping on the window, which broke me away from my thoughts.

_Roll down the window, Edward!_ Alice thought loudly. I sighed, and rolled the window down for her.

"Easy with the knocking next time, sis. I would rather not have to replace this window any time soon." Bella snickered beside me. Alice huffed, and rolled her eyes.

"Don't be so dramatic, or I won't tell you the good news!"

"What good news?" She glanced over at Bella, then back at me, and gave me a slight nod.

_After I told Carlisle how well things went with the bear, and since there's been a bit of a problem out in California, he's told me he believes Bella's ready to hunt some bigger prey._

"Really?" I asked, my voice a little high because of my surprise.

_Y__up! As long as you're there to keep an eye on things, which of course you will be, he thinks things would go very well. And Bella will get her first taste of mountain lion!_ My mouth began to pool with venom at the thought. I hadn't had my favorite in months...

"That sounds wonderful. I'm sure she'd enjoy it," I said, my smile growing. Bella gave me a suspicious stare. I shrugged.

_Will you be taking a plane, or a road trip? Wait, wait, let me see...A private jet? Oh Edward, you're such a romantic,_ Alice laughed.

"It's simply a precaution. You know we don't want her near anyone." Bella continued to stare suspiciously. _I can't get anything past her..._

"Of course, of course. Enjoy the flight!" Alice said suggestively, skipping away.

"Enjoy what flight?" Bella asked, her arms crossed.

"We're taking a trip."

"So I thought. Where to?"

"You'll see," I grinned, taking out my cellphone.

**BPOV**

We drove in silence - Edward still wouldn't allow me to breath whenever we left the house - for awhile, eventually stopping behind an airport. Edward unbuckled his seatbelt, but as I began to unbuckle mine he stopped me.

"Wait here, please," he said softly. "I'll be back shortly." I sighed, and he put a finger over my mouth. "No breathing yet," he chuckled, getting out of the car. I crossed my arms, growing more and more curious.

_Now what has he got up his sleeve..._A few minutes later my door opened, and Edward helped me out.

"Are you going to tell me where we're going yet?"

"Not yet."

"But i'll find out eventually."

"Of course you will. But not yet," he laughed, taking a hold of my hand. "Now, no more breathing. This isn't exactly a private area." I shot him a glance, questioning him with my eyes. "Don't worry, i've made sure there won't be any problems on the plane. Trust me." He flashed me one of his dazzling smiles, causing me to melt into my shoes.

"There you are!" A loud, booming, familiar voice said from inside one of the nearby, smaller planes. Emmett peeked his head out from the entrance, gesturing for us to climb aboard. I gave Edward a pleading look, the fright probably very clear on my face. He simply laughed it off, and helped me in. I gasped after taking a look at the inside. It was amazing! It was wood-paneled, with huge, soft-looking couches lining the sides, and silver mini bars beside each one. There were velvet curtains covering all the windows, held up by poles made of - what else - gold. The carpet seemed to be made of mink. Edward put an arm around my shoulder, clearly amused by my reaction.

"Do you like it?"

"It's certainly the most expensive plane i've ever set foot in..."

"You should get used to traveling in style!" Emmett laughed. "It's the only way you'll be doing it from now on."

"Why are you here?" Edward turned his face away, trying to hide the grin that appeared at the bluntness of my question.

"What? I just got my pilot's license, so I want to start getting used to flying on my own, without an instructor." My mouth fell open. _Please say this thing has parachutes..._He sniggered, putting on a black hat with a golden-wing pin on it. "I'm kidding." I frowned, giving him a hard smack on the shoulder. He didn't even flinch. "You're so easy!" He laughed, heading for the cockpit.

"Sorry," Edward said sheepishly, giving my shoulder a squeeze. "He insisted on coming with, after hearing about missing out on that bear..."

"It's alright, i'm not too upset over it," I sighed, sitting down on one of the couches. _It really is comfortable...But I don't even want to know how expensive it was._ "He does have experience, right?"

"Of course," he laughed, taking a seat beside me. "He's actually really good. Don't worry, I wouldn't let him take us if he wasn't."

"You know, I really can't picture Emmett doing something like this. What made him want to?"

"Just to try out something new. We've all picked up a countless amount of hobbies over the years." He leaned forward, whispering into my ear. "Rosalie even got him to take up ballet back in the 80's."

"Shutup!!" Emmett shouted from the cockpit. I couldn't control the laughter that escaped - _I mean, come on, Emmett in a tu-tu?!_ - which only made him madder. "Keep it up and i'm taking you guys to the North Pole!"

"Well, polar bears are in season," Edward muttered with a sly smile.


	16. Chapter 16

**Yay! I stayed up until 2 AM writing this, JUST FOR YOU GUYS, since I figure I won't be on much today and you all deserve more updates. I'm surprised I was able to write at all, there's severe storms out GAAAAHHHH and they seriously freak me out!! (been terrified of storms since I was a kid) So, ehh, posting this to take my mind off of the weather? And for you guys. Because you're all so incredibly awesome. :D**

**Thank you all - for the thousandth time - for all your reviews!!**

* * *

**BPOV**

Thankfully Emmett didn't take us to the North Pole, as interesting as it would be to try out some polar bear...We landed in California at around 10 PM.

"Why so late?" I asked curiously after noticing the darkness, as we stepped out from the plane.

"It'll be a bit easier to hunt without an audience at night. You'd be surprised, the amount of tourists that like to see the woods. It's why there are so many attacks."

"Yeah, and 'cause humans are morons," Emmett laughed. I shot him a glare. "What? You're not human anymore..." Edward smacked him in the back of the head - hard. "Hey! I was just being honest..."

"Maybe you should avoid that from now on. It would save us a lot of trouble," Edward growled, leading me over to a black sports car. If I hadn't had such excellent vision, I wouldn't have even seen it, it was so dark out. The driver's side door opened up, and Carlisle stepped out. I shot Edward a curious glance.

"He wanted to come with, to make sure everything goes smoothly," he whispered as we walked over.

"So, Bella, are you excited?" Carlisle asked with a smile so bright, it seemed to stand out against the darkness.

"Sure," I said, smiling back. I really was pretty excited, but I knew it would be best to try and play it cool, with Emmett around. Or else he'd just make some jokes about me tripping - which would make me nervous, so, of course, i'd end up tripping.

"I suppose we should head out then," Carlisle said, gesturing to the car. I could tell he was aware of me hiding my excitement, as was Edward. Thankfully though, Emmett seemed as oblivious as ever.

"Let's go! And don't be too nervous, Bella," Emmett said with a coy smile. "Or else you might trip. Well...you'd probably do that either way!" He laughed, giving me a slap on the back. _Okay, so maybe he's not as oblivious as I thought._

"I'm not nervous," I mumbled, as Edward kicked him in the leg.

"Boys," Carlisle sighed, getting into the car.

"He started it," Emmett mumbled sullenly, sitting in the front passenger seat. Edward smirked, opening one of the back doors for me. I climbed in, trying to hide the smile that had broken out across my face.

**EPOV**

"So, where will we be going?" Bella asked absentmindedly along the way.

"I thought I asked you not to breath," I muttered strictly. She shrugged.

"There aren't too many people out tonight, it seems. I've been breathing this whole time, and I haven't smelled a thing." I sighed and shook my head.

"Bella..."

"Oh, don't be so protective," she grumbled. I could tell she was trying hard not to smile. When she did things like that, it was very hard to stay mad at her...

"We'll be going out to Orange County," I said, sighing again, deciding to answer her question. "There have been many reported cases there over the years, especially recently. It's where we usually go when there's a problem, since there have been so many. But they just keep coming back..." Everyone in the car, including myself, visibly stiffened then. We'd all caught the scent. Carlisle quickly, but carefully, pulled over, and we all climbed out.

"It's not far, maybe 20 yards or so," I whispered. Carlisle nodded.

"What is it?" Bella hissed, clinging to my arm. I smirked down at her.

"That, love, is the undeniable scent of a mountain lion."

"Female, i'd bet," Emmett said softly, his eyes closed. He was in the zone. "She recently had a litter, I can smell them on her...The male must have left, she's hunting alone."

"Where would the litter be," Bella asked, before letting out another soft hiss.

"They're closer than the female...By about 10 yards, i'd say," I whispered, swalling the venom that began to fill my mouth. "There's more...Nearby. Maybe enough for us all."

"There'd better be," Emmett scoffed. "That, or a nice, fat grizzly." I hushed him, gesturing over to Bella. She'd gotten into a crouch on the ground, while clawing at the earth. With each breath she took, she would follow it with a hiss. I carefully crouched down beside her.

"Remember, Bella," I whispered, "these things are crafty. And since she's a new mother, she'll be extremely aggressive." She nodded slowly, listening intently to every word I said. "Just follow your instincts, let them guide you. Don't go in for the kill right away, wait until her defenses are down."

"She's had some practice, Eddie, she can handle herself," Emmett said with a smug smile on his face. _He knows I hate it when he calls me that...I suppose it was for the ballet comment,_ I smirked.

"Let her be, Edward," Carlisle said gently. "Let's allow her to try it own her own, to build her own experience." I nodded and stood upright, taking a few small steps back. Bella glanced back at us, and I couldn't help but smile. _Here we are talking about her as though she's not even here..._

**  
BPOV**

I heard them talking about me, but tried to ignore it. _Focus, Bella. Allow your instincts to take control..._I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, leaning forward slightly. And before I knew it, I was airborne. My eyes flew open as I tried to figure out how it happened. _Oh, right, you handed yourself over to your insticts!_ I closed my eyes again, landing perfectly on a nearby tree. I heard Emmett shout something along the lines of "Nice wingspan", but I really wasn't paying enough attention.

I jumped out to the next tree, edging closer and closer to the creature. It still hadn't noticed me. I jumped, again and again, crossing five trees in a matter of seconds. I was now mere feet away from her, and she still hadn't noticed me...

_Just a little closer...Sneak up on her, catch her from behind, she'll never expect it..._

I licked my lips in anticipation, leaning slightly forward, preparing to strike.

"Hey, Bella, be careful! You don't want to fall, and ruin everything," Emmett laughed from the distance. I heard Edward growl in response.

_Not this time Emmett,_ I smiled, lifting my feet off the branch. _Wait...NO!!_ I slipped while jumping, causing me to fall straight to the ground - directly on top of the mountain lion. I twisted around in mid-air, trying to correct myself through Emmett's laughter.

"I call dibs on the thing after Bella falls on her face!"

I snarled, causing the creature to whip her head around and look straight at me. She hissed, getting herself into attack mode, but it was too late. I fell right on her. Thankfully I was able to position myself so my chest was against her back, giving me the upper hand. I growled, my arms forming a steel cage against her belly. She snarled, spinning around in circles trying to get me off, but I refused to let go. _Find the jugular, find the jugular, find the...Bingo!!_ I let out a low hiss, latching on to the creature's neck, breaking through the flesh easily. Though, through the struggle, I missed the major artery. This caught me off guard a little, giving her a chance to throw me off of her back. I whipped around, landing perfectly in a crouching position, refusing to give up that easily. I half expected her to run away after that, but instead she stayed put.

_Edward was right. She's being aggressive._

I saw her crouch down, matching my position, preparing to strike. But with my reflexes and speed, she was no match for me. In a flash I tackled the thing, pinning her chest-down on the ground. _This should make things easier_, I thought with a hiss, taking in the scent. _Much easier..._I, again, latched down on the creature's neck. This time I hit my target directly. She continued to struggle for a minute, but it was of no use. I refused to let her move as much as an inch. I had soon drank the fight out of her, and she gave up, too weak to defend herself any longer.

"Woah! Nice save, Bell," Emmett said with admiration - and, of course, a hint of humor. I sat up, finished with my kill.

"Piece of cake...Well, mountain lion," I shrugged. Edward grinned, wrapping me up in a tight hug.

"You did great, don't pay any attention to Em."

"Why start now," I joked.

"Very nice work, Bella," Carlisle said proudly. "It seems we have truly underestimated you. Your skills are developing much quicker then I anticipated."

"Much, much quicker," Emmett smirked. "I really expected you to continue falling on your face with each step. To be honest, i'm a little disappointed. But hey, at least I got to watch you fall out of a tree!"

I sighed, pulling away from Edward to cross my arms. "Shut it, Em." Of course there was a pretty big hint of humor in my tone, but Emmett still looked hurt.

"Much quicker," Edward snickered.


	17. Chapter 17

**SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG!! I've been so, well, occupied these past few days. I was only able to write bits and pieces. But last night, I finally got around to finishing a new chapter, so here you go? Again, sorry for the wait. :(**

**And, as always, thank you all so much for your reviews. :D**

* * *

**EPOV**

I was about ready to knock Emmett out cold - though not technically, I suppose, we can't really be knocked out - for teasing Bella so much. Until she told him to, in her own words, "shut it". _God, I love this woman._

"Well, now that all of that is over with, what say we catch a little something of our own, boys?" Carlisle said after a few moments of stunned silence.

"Sure," Emmett huffed, leaping into a nearby tree to scout the area for any of the remaining mountain lions. _There'd better be a grizzly out there, or i'm going to be really pissed_, he thought angrily.

"Nice one Bella," I laughed, gesturing up to him.

"Is he really that upset?" Bella asked innocently.

"Don't worry, he'll get over it pretty quickly. He knows you didn't really mean it, so he's pretty much just upset over the humiliation."  
_  
Do me a favor and stay out of my head, or else i'll make you._

I glanced up at the trees with a smug smile on my face.

"Give me your worst." _Bad idea..._Flashes of him and Rosalie in a, well, _compromising position_ began to fill my mind at an alarming rate. I hissed, trying to cover my eyes - as if that would help. I could swear I heard him giggling like a schoolgirl up in the tree, though it was probably just my imagination. _Alright, two can play at that game._

"Bella, how about we go somewhere private," I said loudly, causing her to give me a very perplexed stare. "I suddenly feel very...excited." Emmett immediately peeked his head of from the tree, and shot me a glare. I swear, if Bella was still human, her face would be beet red.

"Say that a little louder, why don't you," she whispered. I could tell she'd caught on, after catching a glimpse of Emmett, but I knew that I was still putting her in a bit of an awkward situation. _I'll make it up to her later._

"I really don't know what hit me. I guess I just got a glimpse of something, or some_one_, very - "

"SHUTUP!" Emmett roared, attempting to tackle me. Of course I heard him think it ahead of time, so I simply stepped out of the way, making him hit the ground with a loud **thud**. I smirked down at him. "If you ever think about her that way again..."

"Relax," I laughed. "I was only joking." I patted him on the back roughly as he rose back up to his feet. "Though I hope i've taught you a lesson."

"You wish," he grumbled, crossing his arms. Carlisle sighed.

"Are we ready now?"

"Yes," I said with a nod. "There's three scattered around the grounds. One to the north, and two to the east."

"Which are the biggest?"

"The one to the north is the biggest. The ones out east are smaller, maybe adolescents." Carlisle nodded, crossing his arms.

"I assume there will be a fight over who gets the one up north?" Emmett grinned evilly at me.

"I say I get the big one." I growled at him. "What? It's only fair. I am the biggest, after all."

"I'm the whole reason we came here in the first place."

"Well, i'm the one who flew you out here since you wanted a private flight."

"Cut it out, Em, or i'll sick Bella on you." Emmett doubled over laughing, pounding his fist on the ground. Bella glared at him.

"Like...she'd...really...hurt me!" He said between laughs.

"You saw what she did to the deer."

"Yeah, after tripping on it!!" Bella hissed, taking a step forward. I put a hand on her shoulder and shook my head.

"It's not worth it."

"Emmett," Carlisle said sternly. "Please, be fair. We both know how much Edward would enjoy the larger one."

_Always the voice of reason,_ I smiled. This stopped Emmett's laughter.

"But that wouldn't be fair! We've already established how i'm the biggest! It should be mine!!"

"Put a sock it in Emmett!!" Bella shouted suddenly. We all whipped our heads around the look at her. "Edward should have it, and you know it. Stop being such a baby." Even Carlisle had to turn his head away, to hide the huge smile that crept up on his face. Emmett's hands clenched into tight fists, and he began to twitch.

"...Fine," he eventually hissed. But, of course, he wanted to have the last words in. He walked over to her, arms crossed. "But on the way back, try and keep it down. I swear, you two sounded like a couple of banshees," he growled, stomping away.

**  
BPOV**

After Edward was able to control his laughter, he leaned down and gave me a soft kiss.

"Nice one, love," he grinned. "I'll be back soon." I nodded. And he was gone in a flash, clearly quite eager for his meal. After he left, there was a bit on an awkward silence. Emmett was glaring at me, and Carlisle seemed to be deep in thought. I crossed my arms and shuffled my feet, waiting for Edward to return.

_Well, that's it. I'm going to find him,_ I thought after a few minutes. So I was off, heading north, searching carefully for my love. After a few miles I slowed down a little, not wanting to disturb anything if they were close by. And then I spotted him, couching down behind a bush, his eyes alert. I got down on my hands and knees and slowly crept over to him, careful not to make any noise. He didn't spot me. Once I got close enough, I pounced, wrapping my arms around his neck. It startled him. He let out a loud snarl, flinging himself up in the air, trying to get me off. When that didn't work, he let himself fall down backwards, crushing me to the ground. I couldn't help it after that...

"It's me," I laughed, wrapping my arms tighter around him. He froze instantly, his expression softening.

"That's not funny."

"I'd have to disagree." I let go, and turned around to face him. "Catch anything yet?"

"Well, I was about to, until I was interrupted."

"Sorry," I said sheepishly. "I just couldn't help myself." He grinned my favorite crooked grin, and gave me a kiss.

"I'm not mad." He turned away for a second, as if looking for something.

"Would you like me to help?"

"Of course. Would you like to see if you could find it for me, before Emmett does?"

"Emmett's looking?"

"Oh yes. The moment you left, he decided to see if he could catch it first. He's made a little competition out of it."

"Well, let's make sure he doesn't win."


	18. Chapter 18

**Again, sorry for the late update! At least this time i've got a reasonable excuse. **

**I recently got some annoying virus (it seems to be somewhere between a head cold and the flu...) which has made me not want to do _anything_ except sit on my butt and watch TV all day. Though i've finally gotten my act together to start writing more, and ta-da! A new chapter is finally completed. Though i'm a little off my game here (I swear this stupid virus has been messing with my brain) so this chapter might have everyone acting a little OOC. Maybe. (sigh) Either way, here it is. Sorry for the wait, i'll try to get these out a bit faster from now on.**

**And, again, THANKYOUALLFORYOURWICKEDAWESOMEREVIEWSYOUALLROCKSOHARD!! (ahem) Yes, thank you. Hope you all are having an amazing weekend. :)**

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**EPOV**

_Eddie doesn't stand a chance,_ Emmett thought with a snicker, just a few feet away, hiding behind a tree.

"Really now, does he want to be found?" I whispered to Bella, low enough so only the two of us could hear. She smiled sweetly, and gave a shrug.

_There he is!_ I whipped my head around, just as the scent began to fill my nose.

_Thanks for the heads up there, Em,_ I thought with a smirk. I crouched down, signaling for Bella to do the same. We would have to go at this thing together if we wanted to make sure we beat Emmett to the punch.

"Alright, we both go after the thing at the count of three. Ready?" She nodded, crouching down beside me. I mouthed the letters "one, two, three" and took off like a madman. I could swear Bella was right beside me, but i'd lost her scent. _Probably from the thrill of the chase,_ I told myself, focusing back on the creature. _But what was that noise?_

**  
BPOV**

As Edward explained that we'd both take off at the count of three, I caught Emmett watching us out of the corner of my eye. I smirked, crouching down beside Edward, acting as if I hadn't noticed a thing.

"One, two, three..." And he was off - as was Emmett. I took off, right behind Emmett, knowing he was unaware that I was right behind him. Just as he was about to leap on Edward, to distract him and gain the upper hand I suppose, I made the first move, tackling Emmett to the ground, pinning him down.

"Nice try," I hissed, grinning smugly down at him.

"Oh man, caught by a newborn," he groaned, trying to push me away. I laughed and rolled off of him, letting him get back up.

"You can't get anything past me." I expected him to make some smart-alecky remark, but instead, he simply laughed it off.

"Well, i'll have to admit. That was a pretty good one, Bells. I wasn't expecting you to catch me." I smiled as he gave me a pat on the back. "It seems you'll be some good competition. We'll have to wrestle someday!"

"If Edward would allow it." He grinned, wrapping a brotherly arm around my shoulder, as we walked back to find Carlisle.

**  
EPOV**

After finishing my meal, my senses started to come back to me. It was then that I realized Bella wasn't there.

"Bella?" I called out to her, searching the area curiously. Of course it was silly to worry about her safety these days, but yet...I just couldn't help myself. I growled, leaping up into a nearby tree, taking a deep whiff of the warm night air. _She's nearby..._"Bella!"

"Yes?"

I wasn't expecting her to be that close. The shock of hearing her voice caused me to lose my composure, and I fell from the tree. At least I managed to land on my feet...

"Smooth move, man! I swear, you two were meant for each other," Emmett laughed, brushing the dirt off of my shirt.

"Are you alright?" Bella asked, concerned. I couldn't help but smile at that.

"Of course, love. Do you really think a simple fall like that could harm me? Surely you know better by now." She playfully punched me in the shoulder as Carlisle came over to us.

"Are you two done roughhousing for the night?" He asked, with what appeared to be mock seriousness. I laughed, and nodded.

"Yes, Carlisle. I'm sorry about all of that. You know how Emmett gets."

"I know what I get. The bigger adolescent!" Emmett screamed, disappearing in a flash. I rolled my eyes at him, while Carlisle grinned.

J_ust remember, Edward, as much as he likes to mess around with you, he still cares about you,_ Carlisle thought with a slight nod.

"Of course, I know that," I sighed, trying to hold back the laughter over how sappy Carlisle's thoughts had become. Though, as always, I knew he was right.

"Know what?" Bella asked, arms crossed, giving me a slightly bothered stare. I couldn't help but smile at the sight. _She's so adorable when she's annoyed._

"Nothing, love. Just a bit of a father-son chat." Suddenly Emmett was right by my side, with blood and a smug look on his face.

"Record time!" He announced proudly, throwing his fists up in the air victoriously.

"It wasn't a competition tonight," I laughed.

"It was for me. And I won. _Again._"

**BPOV**

I watched with a smirk as Edward and Emmett got into another one of their arguments. What it was about this time, i'm not entirely sure, though the words "elk" and "track-runner speed" kept coming up.

"Alright, alright, fine. Let's just agree to disagree on this one," Emmett eventually said, after Carlisle sat down against a tree with a loud sigh.

"Fine."

"Good. Now, I say we start a new competition then."

"About what?" Edward asked, crossing his arms. Emmett didn't reply - instead, he simply raised his eyebrows suggestively as a huge grin spread out across his face. Edward hissed. "NO! _You leave her out of this_."

"Come on Eddie, you saw the way she handled that thing back there! I bet she'd be a worthy opponent."

"That's out of the question."

_Now what?_ I thought, sighing out of frustration. They both turned to look at me.

"I say we let her decide."

"No."

"Be fair, Eddie!"

"Don't call me that," Edward hissed.

"Enough!" I yelled, throwing my arms into the air. "What is it??" Edward looked back and forth between me and Emmett for a few moments, then uncrossed his arms.

"_Emmett_," he sneered, "wants to have an all-out brawl with you. He thinks it would be fun." I laughed loudly at the absurdity of it all.

"Is that it?"

"Yes!" Emmett cheered. "I knew she'd want to!"

"Bella, I really don't think..."

"Oh come on," I said softly, wrapping my arm around Edward's. "Don't you remember? I'm not as fragile as a piece of glass anymore. Emmett can't break me." By the look on his face, I hadn't changed his mind yet. I placed a kiss on his cheek and smiled encouragingly. "And besides...Wouldn't it be fun to watch me pummel the living snot out of your big brother?" Emmett's smile faded as I said that, but it seemed to please Edward.

"I really don't approve of this, but if you really want to..."

"Then it's settled." I gave him a big kiss on the lips, then began to crack my knuckles menacingly. "Ready, tough guy?" I asked Emmett with a smile that was a mile wide.

"Here we go," Carlisle sighed.


	19. Chapter 19

**I got some sudden inspiration and decided to crank out another chapter! Yay! (it is a tad short though. i'm sorry...) That being said, the next one probably won't be done for at least a couple of days. I've got a ton of projects (mainly video-wise) on my hands at the moment that i'm going to be focusing on, so I won't really have much time for writing. Though i'll try and squeeze it in.**

**Thanks again for all your reviews! Really now, when I first started this thing, I didn't think i'd get any at all!! And now i'm up near the 100 mark?! You guys are just too nice for words, really. I truly appreciate every single review. Thank you all for taking the time out of your day to let me know what you thought of my story so far. And for not saying anything about my crappy writing skillz. xD**

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**BPOV**

"Ready, tough guy?" I asked Emmett, already in a kung-fu-like stance. He grinned, and began to twist his neck around, as if flexing.

"Oh yeah. I've been ready since the day you changed."

Edward rolled his eyes, and pinched the bridge of his nose.

_God, he looks so beautiful when he does that. Like a perfect sculpture, sculpted by the greatest_...My thoughts were abruptly cut off when Emmett barrelled into me, knocking me backwards into a tree.

"Is that all you got?!" He shouted, giddy with glee. I could hear Edward growling protectively.

"Just say the word, Bella, and i'll get rid of him for you."

"There's no need for that," I said, kicking Emmett in the gut. The force of the blow surprised him, and he stumbled back. It was just the show of vulnerability I needed to take the upper hand.

I let out a soft hiss, leaping at him with all my might, smashing into him hard enough to send us both flying, tearing down a few trees that were unlucky enough to be in our path. As we landed back on the ground, I crawled around at an in-human speed so my front was pressed against his back. Once we hit the ground, I placed him in a choke-hold, thoroughly enjoying the moment.

"Holy crap," Emmett sputtered, in disbelief that I was able to overpower him so quickly. Though that disbelief quickly turned to anger when he heard Edward laughing...

Emmett grabbed hold of my arms and pulled me up over his head, letting me fall to the ground with a nasty thud. Before I was able to realize what had happened, he had me pinned down, with one of my arms pressed behind my back.

"Say Uncle!"

I hissed in response.

"Aw come on, don't be a sore loser."

"I haven't lost yet."

And with that, I let my free hand fly back and punch Emmett in the face. He released his hold on me, surprised. I grabbed a hold of one of his legs, twisting it as far as it would go, while using one foot to keep him pinned to the ground. I was about to finish him off when there was a loud ringing noise. We both turned to the direction of the sound curiously.

"Hello?" Carlisle said into a tiny silver object.

_His cellphone, _I thought with a sigh.

Both Carlisle and Edward suddenly became very alert, probably by whatever was said over the other end of the phone.

"How far away...Yes...No, Alice, I don't blame you at all. These things happen. It wasn't your fault at all."

I glanced over at Emmett - he had the same look of confusion on his face as i'm sure I had on mine. I released him, and slowly stood up. Edward was by my side in a flash, putting an arm protectively around my waist.

"What's going on?" I asked, surprised that my voice didn't come out sounding half as shaky as I figured it would have.

I wasn't expecting to hear the next words that came out of his mouth...

"The Volturi."

My breath caught in my throat, and he tightened his hold on me.

"They'll be at our home any minute now. They wish to see you. The _new_ you."

"Is that...a good thing or a bad thing?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm not sure yet. Alice can't tell from the visions she's had...We just need to wait and see." He glanced down at me with a half-smile. "Don't worry, love. I'm sure it's nothing too horrible."

_He's lying. I can tell; he's not telling me something..._

Carlisle said his goodbyes and hung up the phone, looking calm and collected - as always.

"Well, Alice thinks we should head home. She doesn't think anything bad will happen. She'll call again once they arrive."

"How didn't she see this happening any sooner?" Edward hissed. Carlisle shook his head.

"Please, Edward. Don't be so harsh on your sister. You know very well that some things just tend to...slip through."

"But she should have seen _this_." His eyes were growing dark, very dark; nearly black. It was starting to worry me...

"It can't be too bad, can it?" Emmett asked with a shrug of his shoulders. "I mean, it's not like Bella's human anymore. They probably just want to stop by to check up on things right? And once they see, they'll leave."

"That's what we're hoping for," Carlisle nodded. Emmett glanced over at Edward, whose eyes were now fully black, and got into a similarly protective stance on the other side of me.

"Alright then. Let's give them what they came for," he growled.


	20. Chapter 20

**Again, I am _so_ sorry for the wait!! I've still been sick - which seems to have drained all the engery _and_ creativity out of me. I know this is a tad short, so again, i'm really sorry. I promise that as soon as this stupid virus is gone (i'm beginning to think it may be a sinus infection now...) the chapters will start coming out quicker and, hopefully, longer. Though I am considering ending it soon. Before Breaking Dawn is released.  
**

**Also, just a heads up - it gets a tad smutty near the end. I felt it needed to be done at that point in the story. Though I cut things off pretty quickly to give them their privacy. Sorry to all the pervys out there! I'm just not much of a smut-writer. It doesn't seem to come naturally. xD**

**Thanks again for all your kind reviews! They've helped me pull through, and continue writing with way more confidence than I ever thought i'd have. There's no way I could possibly thank you all enough.**

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**BPOV**

The flight home was quiet, and tense. The only thing to break the silence was when Alice called back. I kept an eye on Edward all through the call. His expression never changed.

"What did she say?" I asked him after a few minutes.

"They've arrived at our home, and our waiting for us to return."

"So there's no new information."

"No."

And the silence returned...

Within a few hours, we arrived back in Forks. Needless to say, the drive home was also silent. A part of me was actually happy once we finally got through the front door...

"Ahh, Bella! There you are!" Aro called out, gliding up from the living room couch right over to us. He took my hands in his, a large smile on his face. I could hear a growl start to rise up in Edward's chest...

"Aro...Hi," I said awkwardly, taken aback by his friendliness and calm demeanor - which i'd forgotten about, apparently - while forcing a smile.

"Terribly sorry to drop by unexpectedly, but we'd just heard the news! Of course we had to come right out and see it for ourselves."

"Oh, yes."

_What does he mean by "it"?_ I thought with frustration.

"Well, it's lovely to see you all again," Carlisle said with a gentle smile. "Aro, Caius, Felix, Jane..." Edward recoiled at the last name.

"And it's a pleasure to see you all again," Aro said with a nod. "Well! Shall we get on with it?"

"On with what," I stuttered.

"With testing your abilities, of course!" He laughed, with a casual flick of the wrist.

_I don't like the sound of this..._

"Her abilities have already been put to the test," Edward said curtly.

"Yes, but not by us."

Edward held out his hand, his expression firm. Aro smiled politely, reaching and pressing his hand to Edward's. His eyes closed for a minute, as if he was asleep. Then his eyes flew open, his smile growing larger.

"Marvelous! That really is quite a gift you have, Bella. May I do a little test of my own, though?"

I glanced over at Edward. His face was completely expressionless. I wasn't sure if I should take that as a good thing or a bad thing...

"Sure...I suppose."

"Wonderful! Jane?"

My eyes widened as Jane glanced over at Edward, with a smile that scared the living hell out of me.

_No..._

Edward suddenly fell to the floor, writhing in pain.

"No!!" I shrieked, falling to my knees and wrapping my arms around him protectively.

_I wish Jane would stop hurting Edward, I wish Jane would stop hurting Edward, IwishJanewouldstophurtingEdward!!_

He relaxed in my arms, but made no move to stand back up.

"Are you alright?" I whispered, pressing my face into his neck.

"Yes, i'm fine," he replied monotonously, as Jane scowled at us from the corner of the room.

"Marvelous!" Aro exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "I do believe you would make a fine addition to the Volturi! Though I don't suppose you've changed your mind about that, hm?"

"No, we haven't," Edward said sternly, standing upright. "Sorry to disappoint you."

"Ah, well, it's no worry. Though if you ever would like to join us, please, don't hesitate to come back and visit." He turned and nodded to Felix and Caius. "Now, i'm terribly sorry to cut this short, but we've got other things to attend to. It seems these days our work is never done!"

"I know what you mean," Carlisle said, with a polite chuckle. "It was nice to see you all again."

"Yes, yes, it was wonderful! I'm so glad I was able to see the new Bella!" Aro replied, while gliding to the front door. The rest of his group was by his side in an instant. "And Edward, I really do hope you reconsider my offer. I'd be more than happy to have both you and Bella with us."

"I'll think about it, Aro," Edward said, in a way that made me aware that he certainly _wouldn't_ be thinking about it. And then they were gone.

"Boy, they sure left in a hurry," Emmett scoffed.  
_  
And yet still not fast enough..._

"There's been some problems in Utah. Some more old-timers have been getting bored...They decided to stop by only momentarily to check up on things out here, since they were nearby anyway," Edward muttered. "Aro was considering stopping by again later, before going back to Italy."

I smiled slightly. No matter how long i'd known of his ability, it was still an interesting thing to get used to.

"Are you alright, Bella?" He asked, breaking me free from my thoughts.

"Of course, i'm fine," I replied, reaching a hand out to caress his cheek. "Though I should be asking you the same thing."

"It was nothing," he shrugged.

"Oh, yes, I see the love of my life, _the meaning for my existence_, writhing around on the floor in agony. That's nothing," I said sarcastically. He surprised me by letting out a soft chuckle.

"I'm really alright, Bella. It was simply a trick of the mind. No harm done."

"Well, if it was me, you would have worried just as much." He grew very serious at that.

"I was worried. Once I heard they were coming here...It was as if you were human all over again."

"But i'm not," I reminded him sternly, bringing my other hand up to his face. "Do I really need to remind you of that?" He finally let a smile cross his face.

"No, you don't need to. Though I certainly wouldn't object to you reminding me in...certain ways." His eyes grew dark as a devilish grin broke free.

_I know that look..._

"Which ways?" I asked innocently, batting my lashes. He let out a low growl, his hands reaching out to slowly roam over me. I took a quick look around the room. Everyone had left. I smiled and pulled his face forward, causing our mouths to collide with such force, it caused Edward to let out another growl.

"Bella," he sighed in a deep, husky voice against my lips. I took the opportunity to explore his open mouth, tracing every inch I could reach with my tongue. Edward groaned, lifting my legs off of the ground and backing me against the wall. I wrapped my legs around his waist, and let my hands go though his bronze locks.

"We certainly couldn't be doing this if I was human," I gasped, causing him to laugh loudly.

"No, we certainly couldn't." His hands trailed up my thigh, as his grin grew wider. "And I can think of a few other things we couldn't do..."


	21. Chapter 21

**Sorry for the little cliffhanger there...And how fast i've sprung it up on you guys. I just know that I need to wrap this up within the next few chapters, and August 2nd is edging closer and closer, so I need to start ending things now. **

**And I have a feeling you may not like where it's going, but in my mind, it's how I feel things should end. Thank you all again for your awesomazing reviews!! You guys rock and/or roll. xD  
**

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**EPOV**

Late the next night, I noticed Bella's eyes beginning to turn a few shades darker. It had been a little while since she'd hunted...

"Bella, how would you like to go back out to our meadow for a little hunt?" I suggested, wrapping an arm around her waist. She smiled up at me.

"Is it really that obvious how thirsty I am?"

"Well, your eyes have grown a bit dark," I smirked. "Come on, let's go."

We hopped into the Volvo and sped out to our meadow, Bella holding her breath through the ride as usual. Once we arrived she sighed.

"I'll be happy once i'm finally allowed to breath during trips again," she grumbled. I couldn't help but laugh at her annoyance of the situation.

"Well you either hold your breath, or you go insane with thirst after catching the scent of some unsuspecting human." She simply shrugged, causing me to laugh again.

We walked through the entrance to the forest, and I smiled at all the memories the place held for us. I put a hand on Bella's shoulder, spinning her around to face me.

"How about a ride?" She raised a brow questioningly. "For old time's sake." With that, she smiled.

"Well...How about I give _you_ a ride instead," she growled. Suddenly I found myself on her back as she sped through the trees. I let out a loud, barking laugh at her.

"This certainly is interesting."

"Make sure you hold on tight, or else you'll slip," she teased.

"Do you even know where you're going?" Just as I finished my sentence, she stopped. We'd arrived at our meadow. I hopped off of her back - with a little less grace than I usually have - and sighed. "Ah, Bella. Always so unpredictable."

_I know they're nearby. I can smell them_, an all-too familiar voice rang out in my head. _I can't wait to tell them_.

"Edward?" Bella asked curiously, taking a hold of one of my hands. "What is it?" She suddenly recoiled, letting out a low hiss. I fought back the urge to do the same. "Not again..."

Two large wolves emerged from the trees a mile or so away from us, letting out low, angry growls. I recognized them as being Jacob and Sam.

_So we meet again, bloodsucker_, Jacob sneered.

"What do you want now," I asked angrily, clenching and unclenching my fists.

_We just wanted to give you some news_.

"How did you know we'd be here."

_You seem to come here a lot. We've kept watch of the area, waiting for you to return for the past few days_.

"Well we're here now. Just get it over with."

Jacob turned to Sam, nodded once, then took a few paces forward. He began to convulse, while digging his claws into the ground. He was transforming back into his human-self. Bella grabbed my hand again, and leaned into my shoulder.

"I thought it would be fun to tell you both together," Jacob grinned, his transformation complete, while sauntering over to us. Sam stayed close behind, clearly only there for protection. I smirked at that.

"Tell us what?" Bella asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Jacob's grin grew wider as he crossed his arms.

"You've broken the treaty."

"What?" She asked again, clearly not understanding. Unfortunately, I did.

"The treaty," he repeated, looking only at me. "By what you've done to...Bella." I could tell he tried not to wince after saying her name.

"Jake, don't do this..."

"Sorry, but it's not my decision."

_Of course it isn't_, I thought with a snarl.

"Now, i'm afraid there will be...consquenses."

"You don't have to do this," Bella said, clearly growing frustrated. "I know you have control over the decisions of the pack. Even though Sam is the alpha, you were chosen first for that position. You can tell them -- "

"I can, but I won't." The look that crossed Bella's face was heartbreaking. I looked away, not wanting to see any more.

"Why not," I asked for her, angrily.

"Look, it wasn't my fault that you did this. I shouldn't have to let _you_ off the hook."

"I'm not asking you to do it for me." His face softened, but only a little. He subtly looked back and forth between me and Bella. After a minute of silence, he glared back at me.

"I'm sorry." _But you haven't left me any other choice_.

And with that, he took off towards Sam, transforming back into wolf-form in mid sprint. I closed my eyes, holding Bella closer to me. She let out a soft whimpering noise that crushed me completely.

"What...what are we going to do?" I slowly opened my eyes to glance back down at her.

"We need to leave."

"Yes...Yes, we can go home, Carlisle will know what we -- "

"No, love. We need to _leave_." She simply stared up at me, not fully understanding the meaning of my words. "We have to leave Forks."

"But...No, how will that..."

"It's what he wants. If we continue to stay here, we'll continue to run into each other. He can't handle that, and to be honest, I don't think you'd be able to handle it either. If we leave, he'll have no real reason to follow through with his..._punishments_," I sighed. She took all this in, nodding slowly.

"Where will we go?"

"For that, I suppose we'll need to talk with Carlisle and the others." She smiled softly, nodding again. I couldn't bear to tell her that I already knew where we'd be going...And who we'd be leaving behind.

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**DUN DUN DUNNNNNNN! xD (sorry, I couldn't resist)**

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	22. Chapter 22

**I think there's only going to be two chapters left now. Maybe one, if it's long. I'll be sad to see it end!**

**Again, thank you all so much for your reviews. You're what has been keeping me going all this time! I'll have to start a new story after this one. Let me know if you think of any interesting ideas. :)**

**Also - how in the heck do I find out where to check messages? I have no idea if anyone's sent me any...because I don't know where to look for them. Help? **

**(ugh, I feel like such a n00b)**

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**BPOV**

The drive home was tense, and silent. Edward kept sneaking glances at me, thinking I wouldn't notice. Of course, I did. Eventually it started to get to me - I could tell he was holding something back.

"Edward, what is it?" I asked softly, trying not to take in too much air. He simply looked over at me and shrugged.

"Nothing is wrong. And please, don't speak again until we reach the house. The streets are crowded tonight."

I pulled my hand away from his to cross my arms, pouting like a child. I didn't care what I looked like, though - I was too concerned over what was happening to really take notice of how silly I probably looked. But Edward noticed. He laughed, taking my hand back into his own.

"Please, love, don't pout - or else I might have to pull this car over and put those beautiful lips to good use." I sighed at that, and he shook his head. "Remember - no more breathing, please."

_I've never been able to say no to him..._

We soon reached the house. I expected to see the entire family outside waiting for us, but no, they were nowhere to be found.

"Where is everyone?"

Edward was silent for a moment, clearly trying to pick at his family's thoughts.

"Esme and Alice are in the garden...Carlisle's at the hospital, the graveyard shift," he smirked at that, "and Rosalie and Emmett are in the garage tuning up the Jeep." I nodded, stepping out of the car.

"Who should we tell first?" Suddenly Alice was by our side, arms crossed, and a huge frown on her face.

"Edward!" She shrieked. "You are not going to follow through with that!"

"What?" I asked, suddenly growing nervous. I'd never seen Alice this upset. If I didn't know any better, i'd think she was moments away from crying.

"I have to," was his only response. Alice shook her head furiously.

"No, you don't! We are all in this together! We're family!"

"Alice, what are you talking about?" She glared at me.

"Oh, yes, as if you don't know!"

"I - I don't!" I whirled around - miraculously graceful, I didn't stumble or anything - to face Edward, placing my hands on my hips. "What are you not telling me?" He refused to look me in the eye.

"You know already. We're leaving."

"No you are not!"

I closed my eyes and shook my head, trying to figure out everything that was happening. _What's the big deal? Why does Alice want to stay here so badly? What did she mean by "we're all in this together"?_ And then it hit me.

"Edward...when you say "we"...Do you mean...?"

"Yes. You and me."

I let out a strange hiccuping sound, and clutched my hand to my chest. _No, no, no, he can't mean that. There must be some sort of mistake!_

"I just can't believe you're going to leave without us!" Alice wailed, stomping her foot angrily. Esme was by her side suddenly, looking frightened.

"Alice, dear, what's the matter? What are you all talking about?" She asked, carefully putting a hand on Alice's shoulder.

"THEY'RE LEAVING WITHOUT US!!" I flinched, my ears ringing from the high pitch of her voice.

_I'm sure every dog within 20 miles has just gone deaf..._

"What?" Esme asked, not understanding.

"We're leaving."

"Already? Well...I suppose we have stayed here awhile. You've all graduated, and everyone will start to grow suspicious soon..."

"NO, Esme! _Edward and Bella_ are leaving!"

"Oh? And where are you two going?"

"I'm not sure. I need to talk it over with Bella first."

I continued to shake my head. Everything was happening so fast, _too_ fast.

"I - I just...Let me get this straight," I sighed, placing a hand over my eyes. Edward continued to hold my other hand tight. "Me and you are leaving."

"Correct."

"Without everyone else?"

"Correct."

"...I don't understand."

Emmett came sauntering over, wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and jeans with black stains all over, his curly hair slicked back. He looked like a 1950's greaser, minus the pack of cigarettes in his sleeve.

"What's going on?" He asked obliviously.

"It seems Edward and Bella are leaving," Esme said softly, clearly trying to hide her emotions. It didn't work very well. The pain was all too clear in her eyes.

"Oh. Where are you guys going?"

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand, and let out an exhasperated sigh.

"We don't know," he growled.

"It's because of those dogs, isn't it?" Alice hissed, still in a fury. "Well, if you _really_ need to leave, we're all going with you! There's no way you are leaving us behind, Edward Cullen!"

"No. It's for the best if me and Bella leave alone. I don't want to drag you all into this mess, you've done nothing wrong."

"And neither have you!"

"Wait, wait, wait...Are they leaving _for good_?" Emmett asked carefully, his mind working in overdrive.

"Yes, Emmett!" Everyone shouted together. He frowned, and crossed his arms, mimicking everyone else's stance.

"Well...Then we'll just go with them."

"No," Edward stated simply, his grasp on my hand tightening.

"Edward, please," Esme said softly, gliding over to him. "Think this through. Think of your family..."

"It's for the best," he repeated, refusing to look her in the eye. She lifted his chin and looked straight into his eyes, forcing him to look back.

"Just wait for Carlisle to come home before you do anything rash. Talk things over with him, and see how you feel then." He stared at her for what felt like forever before finally nodding.

"Alright, Esme. I will."

I let out a sigh of relief. I couldn't stand the thought of leaving my new family behind. Hopefully Carlisle would be able to change Edward's mind...But I guess we'd just have to wait and see.


	23. Chapter 23

**Sorry for cutting this a little short here. I haven't had much spare time recently, and whenever I did, I didn't seem to have any inspiration to write. Didn't want to force anything out, because it would end up destroying the story probably, and I couldn't do that to you guys.**

**I know, this last chapter sucks majorly, and for that i'm also sorry. I just couldn't seem to figure out a way to end things. Everyone is also a tad OOC - my excuse for that, is Jasper. He was forcing emotions on people. SO THERE!**

**Thanks again to all you lovely reviewers, you all rock harder than you'll ever know. Hope you're all having a fantabulous week! And to all those that will be attending Breaking Dawn release parties (as I am, of course) HAVE FUN! Try not to kill each other at midnight, when it officially goes on sale. Or whatever will happen, i've got no idea. Never been to a release party before...**

**-**** End Of Rant -**

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**BPOV**

After the arguments, we all went back inside and waited in the living room for Carlisle to come home. Hopefully he would be able to talk some sense into Edward.

Finally at a little after 6 AM, Carlisle came in. He took off his jacket - I smiled at that, knowing that wearing it was only for show - and walked into the living room to greet us.

"Is everything alright?" Alice bounced up from one of the couches, and flew over to him.

"Edward's doing it again!!" She screeched. He put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Please, Alice, calm down. Explain to me what has happened."

"Bella and I are leaving," Edward sighed - I could tell he was growing tired of having to repeat himself over and over again for everyone. Carlisle nodded slowly, seemingly unsurprised by his son's actions.

"And I suppose you all want me to talk him out of it?" Everyone nodded. "Alright. Edward, we can discuss this in my office." He held a hand out, gesturing for Edward to come over. Once they were upstairs, everyone sighed.

"Do you think he'll change his mind?" I asked.

"He didn't when it came to leaving you," Rosalie shrugged. I winced at that. Emmett nudged her roughly, and gestured in my direction. She shrugged again.

"Rose, please, mind your manners," Esme scolded. "I'm so sorry Bella."

"No, it's okay. That was a long time ago." I hoped that would be the end of _that_ conversation...

After a few minutes, we started to get a little worried. Everyone turned to Alice, questioning her with their eyes.

"No decision has been made final yet. But there seems to be a lot of possibilities...Edward must be going through every available option. At least Carlisle has been able to talk him into doing that."

I closed my eyes, letting out a long, slow sigh. My mind still couldn't seem to fully grasp the situation at hand, which only made me more tense and nervous. I had no idea what was about to come. I don't know how long I sat like that, when suddenly I, as well as everyone else, was brought back to attention.

"He's reached a decision." We all looked over at Alice with hope in our eyes, as Edward and Carlisle walked back into the room at a human pace. Since I was now so used to our incredible speed, it drove me insane at how slow they seemed to be going.

"We're still leaving," Edward announced, his hands in his pockets. Rosalie scoffed.

"I knew it," she grumbled, crossing her arms. "This is exactly like the last time. But at least you're not dragging all of us along with you."

Edward seemed to completely ignore her as he came over to my side, taking one of my hands in his.

"But, it will only be for a few years. We think that will give..._him_ some time to cool off, at least."

"So just a few years?" I asked.

"Yes. That's all. Then we can come back here, if we wish."

"What do you mean, "if we wish"?"

"We'll see how things go."

I, of course, wasn't satisfied with his explanation, but I decided to let it go for the moment, as he suddenly whisked me away, up to our room. He set me down carefully, and walked over to our dresser.

"What are you doing?" My voice was just a few octaves too high, as I didn't give myself enough time to get over my surprise before speaking.

"Packing." He started to pull clothes out from the dresser, stacking them in a neat pile on the bed.

"Oh. Are we leaving soon?"

"We're leaving today. I've already ordered the tickets."

"Today?!" I screeched. He turned to look at me with surprise.

"Is there a problem?"

"I...just wasn't expecting us to leave so soon."

"I'm sorry, love. I just think it would be best if we left as soon as possible. I've been monitoring his thoughts all night, and he only seems to be more and more intent on going through with his plans."

I nodded, leaning into his side, resting my head against him.

"I just wasn't ready for all of this."

"Neither was I," he sighed.

* * *

A few hours later we had all our things packed into the Volvo, ready to leave. We all stood outside the house, trying to drag out our goodbyes as long as possible. I was thankful we had Jasper, or else who knows how we'd all be feeling.

"I still can't believe you're doing this," Alice pouted, her arms crossed, refusing to look me or Edward in the eyes.

"Sorry, Alice. We really don't have much of a choice," I sighed.

"It's only for a year," Carlisle reminded us, placing a hand on Edward's shoulder. "The time will just fly by." Alice simply shrugged. Esme walked over to Edward and pulled him into a tight hug.

"You make sure and keep in touch, do you understand?"

"Yes, Esme. We will," Edward responded with a sad smile. Esme then turned her attention to me, pulling me into a hug just as tight.

"I still don't believe all of this. Just when you've finally become an official member of the family, you are forced to leave us."

"I'm not too happy about it either."

There were hugs all around, as we all said our goodbyes. If Jacob and the rest of the pack could see how many emotions ran through the family, see their true colors instead of just going by the legends, maybe they would understand...Though a part of me knew that would never happen. They would always be enemies.

I was broken by my thoughts of the treaty and the pack by Rosalie, who suddenly glided over to me, with a look of...sincerity?

"Bella," she started with a sigh, "i'm sorry for how i've acted towards you. It wasn't very fair."

After a minute of silence, I realized I needed to respond.

"No, don't worry about it," I stuttered. "I understand."

_What has brought this up? Is it all the happy, lovey-dovey feelings Jasper is forcing into us? It must be..._

"I just wanted you to know, before you leave, that I don't want there to be any hard feelings towards us. I still don't agree with your decision, and you know why, though I can understand your reasons. What's done is done now, and...while it may take me a while, I will try and be a little nicer to you from now on." She reached her hand out to me, a gesture that amazed me to know end.

I reached one hand out to hers, and we shared a handshake that I hoped would be the beginning of something new. "Goodbye, Bella."

"Goodbye, Rosalie," I said slowly, carefully, still in a bit of shock. Emmett wrapped an arm around her shoulder and whispered something into her ear that sounded something like "I'm proud of you", though I can't be sure.

"Are you ready?" Edward asked me, wearing a smile that went from ear to ear, while gesturing to the opened passenger side door to the Volvo.

"Sure," I sighed, climbing in. He closed the door for me, and headed around to the other side. Once he was in, he rolled down the window.

"See you in a few years," he said with a slight wave of the hand. Though something told me it would be more than just a few years until we returned here - for good. Everyone waved goodbye, and I couldn't help but feel that this was one big cliche.

"At least it's not sunset," Edward joked as we drove away, clearly thinking the same thing. For some reason, it was at that moment that it hit me. _I have no idea where he's taking me_.

"Aren't you going to tell me where we're going?"

"Nope. You'll have to wait for the sequel," he grinned.

"Sequel?"

"Yes. If we're in a cheesy old movie, then surely there will be a sequel." I groaned and rolled my eyes, leaning my head up against the headrest.

"Roll credits," I sighed.

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**I knowwww it's horrible, i'm sorry! I feel like such a jerk for ending this like that. Not only was it short, it was short _and crappy_. If you all are upset, let me know, and i'll see what I can do about putting together a sequel. With Edward and Bella starting out life on their own. As cheesy as that sounds? **

**Thanks for reading, and again, sorry. :(**

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